The victim of one of the most famous brawls in junior hockey history still doesn’t know which foot to dance to with this criticized aspect of the sport, even as the league he played in strives to eliminate them.
Dr. Bobby Nadeau was a goaltender for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2008 when he was tackled by Quebec Remparts backup goaltender Jonathan Roy during a hockey game. playoffs.
Patrick Roy’s son skated the full length of the rink and hit Nadeau, who was uninjured, and did not return fire. Subsequently, Roy pleaded guilty to a charge of assault, but was granted an absolute discharge which allowed him to have no criminal record.
This incident and its aftermath shone a light on violence in hockey, and then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper was one of the first to get involved.
About 15 years later, the owners of the QMJHL teams agreed last month to ban fighting from their circuit which, like the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League, is primarily aimed at players between the ages of 16 and 20 under the auspices of the Canadian Hockey League.
“I don’t really know what to think,” Nadeau, who is now a dentist in Kingston, Ont., said this week in an interview with The Canadian Press. “We want to move in the right direction. Before finding the answers, it is important to ask the right questions. »
A player who drops the gloves in the QMJHL is given an additional 10-minute misconduct on top of the usual five-minute penalty since 2020, following a request from the Quebec government.
“I am not in favor of the total abolition of fights, declared Mr. Nadeau. I always took it for granted that there were fights. But in a way, I think that could be part of the problem with progress and evolution – that you don’t want to break out of the status quo.
“It’s important to get out there and at least start thinking about these issues. »
Maxime Blouin, spokesperson for the QMJHL, said the league had seen a significant reduction in fights since 2020 and was responding to calls from Isabelle Charest, the minister responsible for sports in Quebec.
“It is written black and white in our rules that fighting is prohibited,” Mr. Blouin said in an interview. We are leaning towards more severe penalties. »
Fighting is allowed in North American professional leagues, including the NHL, while the OHL and WHL have taken steps to reduce it in recent years.
Spokespersons for Canada’s other two major junior leagues said their representatives have not been involved in conversations similar to those taking place in the QMJHL.
Blouin adds that any new fight decisions won’t be confirmed until the end of this season. The league is also looking at different scenarios in hopes of coming up with a framework for modifying penalties, which could include automatic misconducts and/or suspensions.
Despite his personal history, Nadeau does not agree with the idea of completely removing from hockey an element that he still considers justified under certain conditions.
“It could lead to more vicious plays,” said the 34-year-old from Lac-Etchemin, Que. Will this make players feel braver with their stick? »
Nadeau would also like other dangerous behavior on the ice to be punished more severely.
“Is this going to completely eliminate fighting?” he said. Maybe it will be at a lower frequency. But if fighting becomes illegal, it would be just as important to punish low blows and blows to the head. »
The QMJHL has set up a committee made up of coaches, general managers and owners to examine the next steps, but Nadeau would like players, both juniors and professionals, to be involved in the debate.
“We often have decision makers trying to make decisions without consulting people,” he said. Players, what do they think? »
Blouin, who has indicated that between 5 and 10 per cent of concussions in the QMJHL are the result of fights, said safety was the number one priority.
“Hockey today isn’t about fighting anymore,” he said. It’s all about speed and skill.
“That’s really what we want to build our league on – player skills. »
Nadeau, meanwhile, has sympathy for former players who have health issues blamed on fighting. As a member of the medical profession, he would like to see connections made through data.
“It is very important to analyze the situation correctly,” he said. Is this the fight? Or is it the checking that leads to this potential head injury? Or are there other factors?
“It is important to determine beyond doubt that it is the fighting that results in these consequences before making the decision to abolish them. »
