Ban on fighting in the QMJHL | A “100%” positive outcome

The Maritimes Quebec Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) went from 106 fights during the 2022-2023 season to 31 in 2023-2024. “Above all, we have 5% more spectators,” says Mario Cecchini. For the commissioner, there is no doubt: the results of year 1 of the ban on fighting are “100%” positive.

The fight file was one of the first, if not the first, for Mario Cecchini when he took up his position as commissioner, in May 2023. It is also the first thing he names when we ask him, during our meeting in his Boucherville office, to look back on his first year in office.

“We had to start with that, it was unavoidable,” he said from the outset.

When he arrived, the file was already well advanced. All that remained was to “finish it politically, convince everyone and write the regulations properly”. In June, the circuit formalized the new sanctions, the main of which was the automatic expulsion of players who throw away the gloves.

One season and 612 games later, the QMJHL welcomes its decision.

“A total of 31 (fights) out of 612 matches, where we are changing the culture a little, where we know that there are emotions on edge, where there is physical contact… I don’t know not if today we take the word acceptable – someone could rightly say that there are 31 basketball and football games where there are not 31 battles – but it is on the accursed good way, as they say. »

If it is difficult to make a link between the 5% increase in attendance compared to last year and the ban on fighting, Cecchini indicates that “what we can conclude is that it does not flee from anyone.”

Cecchini also recalls that other regulations allow players to be robust and “intimidate the opponent in a purely sporting sense”. “If I go in front of the goal, or in the corner, I have to be ready for a good shoulder shot. There are some who will think for a second more. It’s all perfect. We don’t want to take away this robust side of the game. Not at all. There are plenty of elements inside the game that allow you to have a physical game. »

“All planned battles have been punished here for a long time, but there is no longer any need to be,” insists the commissioner. There are no more players who are there for that. They’re there for the skills, for their speed and everything good they do on the ice in terms of hockey. »

And recruitment?

The Western and Ontario Junior Hockey Leagues (WHL and OHL), which are also part of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), have not followed in the footsteps of the QMJHL in terms of sanctions against fights.

When Cecchini is presented with the hypothesis according to which the Quebec and Maritimes circuit could be penalized in terms of recruitment, the commissioner does not hesitate: “I have difficulty accepting that argument,” let- does it fall.

Some recruiters, he relates, spoke out against the regulation anonymously in different media. “I have a little less respect for anonymity. If you have an opinion, say it. If you hide, it’s weird. »

“At the same time, in these articles, there was André Savard, who has a ton of experience, who was a GM, who played hockey, and who said: “Well no, that’s not true Overall, we will continue to recruit based on mentality, strength of character and, obviously, all hockey skills.” »

Cecchini recalls that players from other leagues, such as the NCAA, and from Europe do not throw away the gloves.

“(David) Reinbacher, who arrived at his invitation in June and saw his first hockey battle in his life… He had never seen that. The Canadian selected him fifth overall. Why would it be a concern for Kent Hughes (the fact) that we are not fighting? »

In 2023, no prospect from the Quebec circuit was selected in the first round of the NHL auction; a first since 2008. “If we are not drafted, it’s because we have work to do on our hockey development,” says Cecchini. We worked with Jocelyn Thibault (former CEO of Hockey Quebec) on that and we continue to work with Hockey Quebec so that the players arrive even better at 16 years old when we take them and bring them to 20 years old. »

“We all recognize that there is work to be done there, in our territory – I include New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in that. We have work to do and we are going to do it, our work. »

Reduction of matches

Speaking of work, Mario Cecchini highlights another change that has been made in recent months: the number of matches will increase from 68 to 64 starting in the 2024-2025 season.

This issue became a priority for the commissioner last September, during a presentation given to parents of players playing in the Quebec U18 AAA Hockey League. One slide showed a typical player’s week.

“It’s super intense,” he says. This burden struck me. »

Cecchini takes out a satchel to show us the title: school section. “We are very serious about this, we want it to continue. We needed to start lightening the burden a little. »

Concerning the academic aspect, precisely, the League wishes among other things to “continue to increase and standardize” the supervision by club. “We all learned to work virtually during COVID-19. Are there solutions that would allow young people to not necessarily start on August 12? »

“The whole experience must be sharp and, as much as possible, identical,” he adds.

Cecchini also insists on one thing: the QMJHL and its artisans are already “proud” of their product.

“It’s continuous improvement all the time. It will never stop. »