The topic of fighting in hockey has been a hot topic, but now a professional league has decided to put an end to it.
New Quebec Major Junior Hockey League commissioner Mario Cecchini announced a fight ban beginning next season.
The QMJHL is one of the three junior leagues in Canada.
It remains to be seen how the other two leagues, the Western Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League, will react to the QMJHL’s decision.
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Tommy Veilleux (17) of the Victoriaville Tigres and Julien Carrignan-Labe (6) of the Drummondville Voltigeurs battle during a QMJHL game at Center Marcel Dionne on March 9, 2014 in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. (Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)
“Of course we have to improve these situations and in some cases even eliminate them,” Cecchini said of the fighting and bullying.
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He also expressed his belief that the rule change is critical to changing the culture of the league.
“How do you make a culture change? With a lot of determination, with a lot of conviction and with a lot of precision and clarity in what is expected of everyone,” said Cecchini. “For me, that will be of the utmost importance.”
Erick Tremblay of Rimouski Oceanique, left, battles against Nick Fugere of the Gatineau Olympiques during a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game at Robert Guertin Arena November 13, 2004 in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. (Andre Ringuette/Getty Images)
Cecchini replaced Gilles Courteau, who announced his resignation in early March after intense scrutiny of provincial politicians over harassment and initiations.
Courteau, 65, announced his departure after 37 years at the top of the junior hockey league and just a year before his planned retirement in 2024.
The QMJHL Governors recently voted on a new rule that would penalize players involved in a fight. Players would be subject to game misconduct. Officials noted that a player defending against an apparent attacker could escape punishment.
QMJHL Executive Committee President Richard Létourneau later confirmed that the league would proceed with a fight ban.
Marty Doyle of the Shawinigan Cataractes and David Starenky of the Gatineau Olympiques battle during a Quebec Major Junior Hockey game at the Robert-Guertin Center October 22, 2004 in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. (Andre Ringuette/Getty Images)
“Yes, fighting is forbidden,” said Létourneau. “Now the details have to be determined. We have an expanded hockey committee made up of general managers, coaches and owners to find a way to apply this rule and have it accepted by the Minister and ratified at our June General Meeting.”
In September 2020, the QMJHL changed its rules of combat. Violators faced a 10-minute misconduct instead of the usual five minutes for a fight penalty. If a player was involved in three fights in a single season, they were suspended for one game.
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The rule change was in response to the Quebec Minister of Education’s threat to withhold financial aid from the league’s Quebec-based teams.
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