Canadiens' Parros out indefinitely with concussion after fight

MONTREAL, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The Montreal Canadiens said Wednesday forward George Parros will be out indefinitely with a concussion suffered in a fight that has sparked controversy.

Parros was carried off on a stretcher after a fight with Toronto's Colton Orr in Tuesday's season-opening 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs, during which he fell face-first into the ice after a missed punch sent him lurching forward over Orr's body.

The team said Parros, 33, had been discharged from a hospital and didn't suffer any facial fractures from the incident, which has re-ignited debate about the role of fighting in hockey.

Ex-NHL enforcer Jim Thomson told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. the NHL should hand out lifetime bans to fighters.

"Hockey should be like other sports. If you fight, you're out of the game," he said while blaming fighting for a drop-off in youth participation in the sport.

The NHL this year introduced a rule requiring players to keep their helmets on during a fight or face an extra 2-minute minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.