Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Bans Fighting; NHL Affected?

Fighting in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League effectively has been banned, the league announced. The QMJHL is the first Canadian major junior league to make the change.

The edict from the league, whose players are teenagers:

“As soon as a fight occurs, those engaged must be systematically ejected from the game. Any player found to have instigated the fight will also receive an automatic one-game suspension.

“The person declared to be the aggressor during the fight will receive a minimum of two automatic games of suspension.

“In addition to the game misconduct, an automatic game suspension is imposed starting with the player’s second fight of the season. This suspension is in addition to the sanctions described in the preceding paragraphs.”

Fewer Punches in NHL

Fighting in the NHL has gone down over the years. When you see those wild brawls from the 1970s or 1980s, the non-HD video looks almost grainy, as if it should be shown on the History Channel.

According to hockey fights.com, in 2000-01, there were 0.56 fights per games. In 2018-19 there were 0.19 fights per game.

The Flyers tied for second in the NHL with Ottawa with 36 fights last season, according to hockeyfights.com. Tampa Bay had 37. In 2021-22, Nashville led the league with 59 fights. The Flyers had 23.

The Quebec ruling doesn’t mean it’s a step toward fighting being outlawed in the NHL. Fighting probably never will be banned in the NHL. But clearly, fighting is becoming more frowned upon. Instigator penalties have chilled the urgency to fight.

There is a generation of Flyers’ fans who were weaned on fighting — the Broad Street Bullies, and all that. But hockey has changed.

“You want to go?” That famous prelude to a hockey fight just isn’t heard as much in NHL rinks these days.

“In order to prevent physical and psychological violence that may result in minor or serious injury or, in extreme circumstances, death, the QMJHL is responsible for establishing rules of intervention when a fight occurs between two or more people during a game, regardless of whether they are players or other team members [coach, assistant coach, trainer, etc.],” the QMJHL said in a statement.

The Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League have implemented more stringent penalties for fighting but have not outlawed it.

After three fights, an OHL player is suspended for two games for each subsequent fight.

The QMJHL has trended toward a tougher stance against fighting. In 2020, the league added a 10-minute misconduct to each 5-minute fighting major.