I agree with you at some level but the reason that hockey players are allowed to hit, fight, etc is because the are on skates. A fight on the ground (meaning basketball shoes and a court) is a street brawl. On skates, getting leverage for a punch that could do any real damage is difficult. That's one reason that once two fighting players fall to the ice (and thus gain dangerous leverage) the refs step in immediately. That, and the fact that NBA players are wearing gym shorts and a tank top. Hockey players are wearing 40 pounds of armor. I am not saying hockey isn't dangerous, I'm just saying its different.
And also, if a hockey player did this, skates or no, he would be calling him a thug.