Six months after the QMJHL announced it would ban fighting, what impact did this decision have on the world of hockey? In recent weeks, the Journal has surveyed leagues around the world, including players passionate about fighting and experts concerned about athletes’ brains. We will present the result to you in the coming days.
While the QMJHL bans fights at its rinks across Quebec, pugilists in semi-professional leagues continue to throw down their gloves several times a week. And nothing will change, because it is obvious that the end of the fighting would also mean the end of these circles, say some of their members.
The number of fights has certainly decreased in these leagues in recent years.
The leaders of these circuits have also all told us that the era of Joël “L’Animal” Thériault, “Iron Mike” Brault and Steve Bossé is over.
This despite the fact that the day before our interview with Jessy Girard, the new president of the LNAH, the Marquis de Jonquière had signed former Canadian tough guy Donald Brashear, who is struggling with serious off-ice problems, for several years.
Donald Brashear battled Aaron Downey of the Canadiens in a Capitals uniform in 2006. Archive photo
At no less than 51 years old, Brashear also threw off the gloves in his first match. In front of a cheering crowd, the colossus fought Derek Parker, who had more than 550 fights in his career.
“I’m not sure we would survive.”
It is still true that fights in this circuit do not occur as often as before. The average fights per match increased from 4.6 to 1.32 between 2006 and 2022.
But from there to believing that one day that number will be zero, there is a step that fighter André Thibault, who plays in both the LNAH and the Quebec Senior AAA Hockey League, is not ready to take.
“If one day fights are banned in senior hockey, many leagues in Quebec will disappear because tickets are often sold there,” he explained.
André Thibault (right) Photo Didier Debusschere
These words are echoed by Dave Girard, president of the Lac au Fleuve Senior Hockey League (LHSLF).
“I’m not sure we would survive the ban on fighting,” Mr. Girard said. In our league we accept intense fights. We don’t want “staged” fights. We focus on hockey rather than breaststroke.
“It’s hockey. We’re not here for a fairytale story. It is impossible to ban fights like they did with young people in the QMJHL,” he said, while welcoming the initiative of the Cecchini circuit.
Jessy Girard, the commissioner of the LNAH, doesn’t believe “anyone in this league will change a rule similar” to the QMJHL’s.
“We are not here to distort our product and our game. “We are a league known for its robustness and where we now find many talented players,” he also emphasized, adding that their circle “is moving.”
They tightened the sanctions
With the exception of the Desjardins Senior League of Gaspésie (see below), the other senior circuits in Quebec are not affiliated.
Regardless, they apply their own set of rules in which fights are permitted and punished according to rules similar to those in the major professional leagues in North America.
However, some of them have been revising the penalties and sanctions for two years to limit the damage and… bad press.
The fight “has its place”
This is particularly true in the Quebec Senior AAA Hockey League (LHSAAAQ), which experienced three episodes of general crowding last year.
“The owners have embraced the desire to create space for and protect talent. We have taken drastic measures,” explains President Jonathan Cyr.
“We have imposed strict sanctions this season to stop unnecessary violence, help the show and bring young families back to our arenas,” he continued.
The “aggressors” are thus targeted. From the first offense they received a five-game suspension, equivalent to a quarter of the season. The second game saw 10 plays in the stands.
In addition, three players in the preparatory meetings received this sanction, which, according to the president, “made many people think and reflect.”
“The LHSAAAQ does not want to ban fights. “With our talent, we are firmly convinced that the fight between two men in the heat of the moment has its justification,” he emphasized.
A boat, not a Sea-Doo
During the 2019-2020 season, the LHSAAAQ had 226 bouts in its 99 games on the regular schedule. The average number of fights per match at that time was 2.28.
Last year, there were 223 fights in 96 regular season games, an average of 2.32 fights per game.
And of the eight games on the preparation program this year, there were 15 fights, five of which came during a single encounter. This sample suggests a decline if the trend continues.
The new disciplinary measures should improve statistics, says Mr Cyr. Fight fans will also be able to get used to it.
“It’s about not being drastic. It’s not a Sea-Doo that we have to turn on a 10-cent course, it’s a big boat.”
The Quebec Senior Elite League (LHSEQ) and the Regional Hockey League (LRH) did not see fit to answer our questions.
– In collaboration with Kevin Dubé and Jessica Lapinski
No, not all senior leagues in Quebec have fighting in their DNA. About ten years ago, the Gaspésie government decided to ban them, which was heading towards a wall.
“Teams went after multiple bullies by putting a lot of money on the table. It was not uncommon for these players to spend more than $6,000 per game.
“We were on the way to decline. “It couldn’t continue,” explained Jean-Michel Fournier, vice president of the Gaspésie Senior Hockey League (LHSDG).
This six-team circuit at the Senior AA level, which covers the entire Gaspé Peninsula, is the only one in the province represented by Hockey Québec.
This means that the federation’s official rules will be applied and that fights are prohibited under penalty of severe sanctions.
They have more serious consequences than the traditional five-minute penalty.
1200 spectators per game
The LHSDG has no tolerance. She ejects and suspends those who throw away the gloves.
“Last year we had a total of four fights in our 42 regular season games,” Mr. Fournier said optimistically.
He pointed out that his circuit draws an average of “1,200 spectators per game,” about the same number as in “the era of brawling.”
“We want to give our boys the opportunity to play in a competitive and safe environment,” he added. And we want to be a role model in our region.”
Avoid “excessive anger”
The Côte-Sud Senior Hockey League in eastern Quebec, for its part, took the opposite approach this season and decided to no longer be under the jurisdiction of Hockey Quebec.
Last year, a player who threw the gloves was ejected from the game. This year he received a five-minute penalty for fighting and can stay in the game.
At least if he stays calm, because after a second fight he will go to the shower.
“After an analysis, the governors made this decision because they want to avoid unpleasant gestures. When something happened on the ice and fighting was forbidden, there were often outbursts of anger,” said Jean-Danyel Samson, who has been president of the circuit for 13 years.
This is a test bench. If the number of fights increases as much as violence on the ice, the league management would reverse its decision.
“We based this decision on the fact that there are fewer fights in hockey today,” Mr. Samson added.
“More stable guys are also important for teams. We want to let them play without getting into their heads.”
At risk if…
Like his peers in the upper secondary, Samson believes the regulations would spell the death knell for his league if fighting were one day banned entirely.
“A lot of the crowd is still waiting for a fight and the good fight one night,” he explained. Good winning teams may bring people into the stands, but tough hockey and martial arts bring even more people.”
The first weekend of activity saw three bouts in the first three games of the regular schedule.