Hockey is a great game. The best, to my mind.

But it’s got a way of maneuvering itself into some frustrating cul-de-sacs.

The concept of fighting in retaliation for a clean bodycheck, for example.

There’s never been less hitting in the NHL. It’s not far removed from men’s league no-check. Fighting is way down, too.

But when a player gets lined up for a solid hit — heaven forbid it’s a star — that player’s teammates hurry to cause commotion, often dropping the gloves. Doesn’t matter if it’s a clean check or not. It’s a rush to judgment.

Keep your head up. Repay like with like. Better yet, score a goal. But don’t slow the game down via stupidity.

Sure, fans want to see fights. Most fans are dolts. Don’t super-serve the oafish.

Fighting should have long since been abolished. But hard bodychecks are integral. (Just don’t target the head.)

Hits of any kind have mostly disappeared. It’s a sad commentary on the NHL’s current state when the all-time consecutive games played leader, Phil Kessel, never hits and rarely puts himself in harm’s way. Not exactly an “iron man.”

Hockey used to be a man’s game. Now it just pretends to be that.

The day might come when NHL players are required to wear a shield that covers the entire face and hitting is legislated out. Perhaps the league could go co-ed: Each team must have two women on the ice at all times.

Sounds absurd, right? Wait till 50 years from now.

Male goalies can let female skaters score. Like the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin did with Canadian national team player Sarah Nurse at the All-Star thingy’s skills competition. Total work.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is a primary feeder to the National Hockey League. Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby were both drafted out of the QMJHL.

That league has decided to ban fighting. Fighting majors will be accompanied by automatic game misconducts.

It will be curious to see how that manifests itself.

Lesser lights will goad opposition stars by way of trying to get them off the ice for the rest of the game, not just five minutes. Teammates will step in. Situations will escalate.

But if fighting is banned, what’s the outlet? Other violent penalties might increase.

If a suspension doesn’t accompany ejections, the last few minutes of some games will be a horror show. The brawling will just get pushed back to game’s end.

Fighting should be outlawed. It’s barbaric and dangerous. But the trickledown would have to be addressed.

Ex-Penguin Marc-Andre Fleury, now with Minnesota, tried to engage St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington in a goalie fight this past Wednesday. The linesmen prevented it. Fleury’s almost humorous approach invoked amusement, but perhaps it’s better the fight didn’t occur. Then-New York Islanders netminder Rick DiPietro approached a 2011 goalie fight with the Penguins’ Brent Johnson as if it were a laugh. DiPietro got knocked out, his jaw broken, his knee injured and his career altered.

Hockey’s culture is under attack. (The culture of everything is under attack. That won’t go away anytime soon.)

The latest trigger is Mercyhurst University hockey player Carson Briere, who pushed an empty wheelchair down a flight of stairs at an Erie bar. The wheelchair’s owner was using the restroom at the time.

The usual suspects call this an indictment of hockey’s culture. It’s not.

Plenty needs to be changed about hockey’s culture, not least the ugly hazing that exists on the youth and collegiate levels.

But Briere’s awful act indicates nothing beyond him being a piece of trash who’s been trouble wherever he’s played. No need to dig deeper. (Briere is the son of Philadelphia Flyers interim GM Danny, an ex-NHL player.)

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