QMJHL bans fighting in historic rule change

First at Five: Fighting In Hockey First at five we look into the QMJHL's move to ban fighting for the upcoming season and what it means for the game of hockey.

The QMJHL has approved new rules to ban fighting from the league, and it has people in the hockey world talking about whether it's the right move or not.

On Thursday the QMJHL announced the stiffer rules will come into effect for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Under the new rules, players who engage in a fight will be automatically ejected from the game, while the player deemed as to be the instigator will be given an automatic one-game suspension.

A minimum two-game suspension will be issued for players who are declared the aggressor and another game suspension will be added on for a player's second fight of the season.

Sawyer Hannay had a goal and 15 assists in 160 games with the Halifax Mooseheads, but the pugilist clocked 411 penalty minutes.

The former Vancouver Canucks draft pick had more than 80 fights in his junior hockey career and says he doesn't know if he'd make the team in this day and age.

"Often you don't even need to fight, it's just knowing that you might have to, is what keeps people accountable," said Hannay. "It keeps people from running others from behind, it keeps people from taking headshots."

Kristi Allain is a sociology professor at St. Thomas University and grew up around the game of hockey. He now studies it closely along with the ways the sport has influenced our culture and identity as tough and hyper-masculine people.

Allain said hockey has a long, violent history, and she welcomes the new rules in the Quebec league.

"The Q (QMJHL) is really doing something important, it's finally recognizing the value of its athletes," said Allain. "It's an exciting change in the game, for Canada's game."

But the decision to ban fighting isn't blazing any new trails in the game said Allain, there are many other hockey leagues that don't allow fighting already.

"It's important to remember that this isn't something novel or new," said Allain. "There are lots of versions of hockey that has existed without fighting, including all recreational hockey, the college and university games, and the women's game."

Hockey is Canada’s national winter game and when rule changes are made, people notice and want to weigh in.

Halifax-based hockey writer and podcaster Blain Potvin says the Q-league has been making strides to ban fighting in the game, and a lot of it has come from political pressure from the Quebec legislature to remove fighting to make the game safer.

"The Q-league has kind of led the way when it comes to, not necessarily banning or outlawing fighting but discouraging it at the very least," said Potvin.

These are the stiffest rules around fighting in the Canadian Hockey League, and it's expected other leagues like the Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League will eventually follow suit, but until then some say the rules hurt the development of Q-league players.

"Their top-end prospects are going to make," said Potvin. "It's those borderline players, when it comes time to adjust to the physical aspects of the game, the intimidation factor of the game, they won't have the experience with it."

Hannay agrees and says Q-league players will be at a disadvantage until the OHL and WHL adopt the same rules.

"The Q guys will be at a disadvantage because they won't be as equipped to fight a grown man when they go to their first pro camp," said Hannay. "They won't be as physically prepared by playing with and fighting fellow teenagers."

Allain says other leagues like the OHL, WHL and pro-hockey leagues like the National Hockey League will be watching closely.

"We've often seen rule changes tried in the Canadian Hockey League before they are tried in the NHL and we've seen it before," said Allain. "So I'm hopeful this is the start of a real push, I think we've started to see the public pressure on these leagues to protect the athletes and the public in lots of ways."

Allain says the amount of fighting in the Q-league has declined and says fighting has no part of the game. "It's a distraction from what can be a really beautiful and exciting game."