What a $50 Theft and a Hockey Brawl Have in Common

You’ve probably heard the old joke: “I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.”
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Funny—but also surprisingly true. And maybe even more relevant to business than we realize.
In hockey, fighting is more than just tolerated—it’s built into the rhythm of the game. It’s not because players are naturally more aggressive than athletes in other sports. It’s because of the ice.
Hockey is played on a frictionless surface. When tempers flare, it’s physically difficult for teammates or officials to intervene quickly. So when tension builds, it often has nowhere to go but into a brawl.

The ice, in a way, invites it.​

Now think about your business. If you don’t have structural friction—clear policies, processes, checks, and accountability—then the same thing happens. Tension builds. And eventually, it spills out sideways.
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A while ago, a client of mine discovered a small cash theft. Someone pocketed $50. At first, I thought, “It’s not ideal, but let’s not overreact. Just don’t let it happen again.”

But then I caught myself. Because the problem wasn’t the amount—it was the vacuum. The absence of structure. The lack of visible guardrails. If no one sees it, no one addresses it, and no one makes it clear that this behavior has consequences, then that $50 becomes an invitation. Before you know it the next person fudges a timesheet. The next hides a financial mistake. And before long, the real theft isn’t cash—it’s culture.

When I’m brought in as a fractional CFO, I do more than review numbers. I help leadership teams install the kind of internal structure—financial and operational—that gives the business healthy friction. That friction is what keeps the tension from becoming a fight. It’s what stops small issues from spiraling into larger ones.

If it feels like your team is always one slip away from a breakdown, that's a hockey fight waiting to happen. You're probably not dealing with a people problem.

You’re skating on the wrong surface.
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You’re missing the friction that keeps things under control.