Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Implements Stricter Sanctions for Fighting

SHERBROOKE, Qc – The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) unveiled Friday the new sanctions relating to the ban on fights, as voted by the assembly of members of the circuit during the meeting of last March 6.

It was the new circuit commissioner, Mario Cecchini, who made the announcement.

This new version of the regulations has been worked on in recent weeks by a committee made up of general managers, owners and circuit officers. He also had several conversations with the Minister for Sports of Quebec, Isabelle Charest, to arrive at this final version.

Among the approved rules are the addition of a game misconduct penalty for any player engaged in a fight; the addition of an automatic game suspension for any player who is declared to be the instigator of a fight; and the addition of a minimum of two automatic suspension parts for any player who is declared an aggressor.

The automatic one-game suspension is moved forward from the third to the second offense.

The league is confident that this new set of penalties will further discourage its players from engaging in combat.