Patrick Roy Fallout: Quebec Junior Hockey Ordered to Put Violence on Ice

In a bland, sparsely decorated room on the 11th floor of Quebec's Education Ministry offices in Montreal, as far away from an arena as is possible, the fate of fighting in junior hockey was decided. 

"When a fight is going to occur on the ice, there is going to be more severe sanctions." declared the bespectacled Gilles Courteau, commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. 

Courteau had little choice but to promise change in the wake of the Roy family riots in Chicoutimi, Quebec last weekend, although Courteau was a little vague on the details. 

At the request of the Quebec government, Courteau will convene a committee which has until June to come up with measures that will help to curb violent behaviour in junior hockey.  The report will then be handed over to the province's sports minister, Michelle Courchesne, for final approval.

Courchesne, who joined Courteau in announcing the initiative, believes most hockey fans everywhere are desperate to see an end to the kind of behaviour witnessed during the playoff game between the Quebec Ramparts and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. 

"Hockey has evolved for the best but the fans have evolved also and when the whole population is asking to eliminate that violence, leagues have no choice (but to listen)."

And within the parameters of this evolution, adds Courteau, fighting has no place.

"It's the beginning of something new," he says.

Across the country, hockey circles are still abuzz about the now notorious hockey brawl that saw former Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy - now coach of the Quebec Ramparts - seemingly ordering his son, goalie Jonathan Roy, to attack Chicoutimi's Bobby Nadeau, pummeling the net minder repeatedly.  Nadeau appeard to have no interest in fighting Roy.  

Both Patrick and Jonathan Roy have been suspended by the QMJHL, Patrick for five games and Jonathan for seven.  Police in Quebec have also launched an investigation to determine if the fight warrants criminal charges. 

Several other coaches and players were also suspended.  

Courchesne plans to bring up the issue of violence in hockey at a meeting of provincial sports ministers in British Columbia in May in an attempt to get hockey leagues across Canada, and presumably, the National Hockey League, to look at ways to keep the hockey gloves on and the goals coming.

Courteau pointed out his league is known to take a leadership role on difficult issues.  Asked if he was going to push for an outright fighting ban, Courteau didn't think that  possible.

"I don't think we will eliminate fighting.  I'm sure there will be fights on the ice."