Politician threatens to shutdown hockey league if they don't ban fighting
Fighting in hockey has always been a hot topic for some, but it's part of the reason we love the game for others. There have always been advocates for and against fighting. There are also those who believe there needs to be stricter punishments for fighting.
Isabelle Charest, a former Olympic speed skater turned politician, wants to take steps to end fighting in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. How does she plan on doing this? Well her answer is by enforcing tougher restrictions on players by suspending players for fighting.
Fighting numbers have slowly declined especially compared to the 80's and 90's. But fighting is still a huge part of the game of hockey despite what some people want to believe.
In a letter sent to the QMJHL, Charest said the following:
This is a logical continuation of my approach undertaken two years ago. I have made it pretty clear that I wanted fighting in hockey to go away, there was a rule change two years ago [a 10-minute misconduct was added to a five-minute major], but that was not enough. Two years later, we have gone further and the current increase in fights shows that we must act more markedly.
This political figure continues her crusade to remove hockey from hockey and this likely won't be the last step she takes. She also went on to threaten to have the entire league punished for failure to comply with her request.
We have to change the culture and take our responsibilities. I do not understand that in 2022, when we are leaders in doping, in the treatment of cases of abuse and harassment, that we can justify young people fighting with their bare hands in a match hockey.
This is just another example of political overreach as this MP attempts to criminalize fighting in hockey.
| POLL | ||
Should fighting be banned? | ||
| No | 49 | 18.6 % |
| Definitely not | 91 | 34.5 % |
| Never | 102 | 38.6 % |
| Yes, I hate fun | 22 | 8.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
