NHL Notebook: QMJHL bans fighting with automatic ejections, suspensions; Vancouver Canucks sign Pius Suter
By Zach Laing
11 months agoThe QMJHL has officially banned fighting from its league with the implementation of new policies aimed to increase player safety.
On Thursday, the league announced the new measures with a new set of rules that will deter those from dropping the mitts. They include automatic ejections for players who fight, an automatic one-game suspension for a player who is ” found to have instigated the fight,” and an automatic two-game suspension for a player who is “declared to be the aggressor.”
Starting with a player’s second fight and everyone moving forward, an automatic one-game suspension will occur.
“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 league said in it’s safety regulations for the upcoming season.
The emphasis of the moves, the league said, is “to emphasize a safe quality of play conducive to the development of players participating in QMJHL activities.”
The ban of fighting has been implemented under new QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini, who said when he was hired in March the league needed “a culture change.” Cecchini replaced Gilles Courteau, whose 37-year run atop the league ended when he resigned amid a hazing scandal.
THE NHL NOTEBOOK IS PRESENTED BY BETWAY
Canucks sign Suter
Days after the Edmonton Oilers signed former Vancouver Canucks forward Brandon Sutter to a PTO, the west coast squad signed a Suter of their own: Pius.
The Canucks announced they inked Pius Suter to a two-year, $1.6-million AAV deal on Friday afternoon.
Here’s more from Daily Faceoff’s Scott Maxwell:
Suter was an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of his two-year contract with a $3.25 million cap hit that he signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Suter sees a pay cut of more than half his previous salary, with a comparable cap hit to Columbus Blue Jackets winger Eric Robinson.Suter is coming off his worst season so far in the NHL, with just 14 goals, 10 assists, and 24 points in 79 games played. All of them were career-lows for the forward, with the next closest being his 14-goal, 27-point rookie season where he only played in 55 games.Suter, 27, was an undrafted free agent signing, spending a majority of his career after the draft in various Swiss leagues with Zurich SC and the GCK Lions. He signed a one-year entry level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2020, and after they decided to not qualify him, he signed with the Red Wings in 2021.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.
Recent articles from Zach Laing
