It’s now official: a player who throws down the gloves in the QMJHL will now have his night at work ended on the spot.
Mario Cecchni, commissioner of the circuit, confirmed this Friday the new sanctions that will be imposed following a fight, sealing the measures approved by the teams last March.
“This new version of the regulations has been worked on in the last few weeks by a committee made up of general managers, owners and officers of the circuit,” the league wrote in a press release. This “final version” also follows, it is said, “several conversations” with Isabelle Charest, Minister responsible for Sport, Recreation and the Outdoors.
The latter was critical of the plan adopted by the members of the QMJHL. In particular, she wanted an automatic suspension to accompany the expulsion after each fight.
Indeed, under these new sanctions, any player involved in a fight will be de facto expelled from the meeting. A player named as an instigator will also receive an automatic one-game suspension, compared to two for a player named as an “aggressor”.
The league’s rulebook describes an aggressor as one who “continues to throw punches at an opponent who does not retaliate or is only defending.”
In addition, it is from a second fight, and no longer from a third, that a player will be imposed a one-game suspension.
A player involved in a fight in overtime or within five minutes of a game whose score difference is at least two goals will also be suspended for one game. An instigator will be suspended for two games.
