Logo photo courtesy of QMJHL Facebook page.
Players in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey league will be facing harsher penalties for fighting.
New rules came into effect earlier this week and include a 10-minute misconduct penalty for players implicated in a fight, in addition to the five-minute major penalty.
An automatic 1-game suspension will be assessed after the third fight, and for any additional fight.
Here’s a table that breaks down the different in-game situations which would warrant a penalty:
| Game situation | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 |
| Fighting Code 2-2 | Major penalty | Major penalty + Misconduct penalty |
| Code 4-1 Aggressor | Automatic 1-game suspension | Automatic 1-game suspension |
| Code 4-1 Aggressor – Goaltender judged aggressor against a player | Automatic 5-game suspension | Automatic 5-game suspension |
| Code 4-1 Aggressor – Goaltender judged aggressor on another goaltender | Automatic 10-game suspension | Automatic 10-game suspension |
| Code 1-4, 2-2 and 3-4 Instigator | Minor penalty, major penalty and misconduct penalty | Minor penalty, major penalty, and misconduct penalty |
| Code 1-4, 2-2 Instigator | Minor penalty and major penalty | This situation will not be available anymore |
| Code 4-2 in the last 5 minutes of play with a two-goal differential | Game misconduct penalty | Game misconduct penalty |
| Code 1-4, 2-2 and 4-4 Instigator in the last 5 minutes of play or in overtime | Minor penalty, major penalty, and game misconduct penalty | Minor penalty, major penalty, game misconduct penalty |
| Code 4-3 Fight between a player and a goaltender | Automatic 5-game suspension | Automatic 5-game suspension |
| Code 4-6 Second fight by the same player during the same stoppage of play | Game misconduct penalty | Game misconduct penalty |
| Code 4-7 Second fight during the same stoppage of play | Automatic 1-game suspension | Automatic 1-game suspension |
| Code 4-10 Staged fight | Automatic 1-game suspension | Automatic 2-game suspension |
| Accumulation of code 2.2 | Automatic 1-game suspension starting with the 11th fight | a- Automatic 1-game suspension starting with the 3rd fightb- Automatic 1-game suspension for any additional fight |
| Accumulation of codes 3.4, 4 and 5 | Starting with a 4th infraction, an automatic 1-game suspension | Starting with a 4th infraction, an automatic 1-game suspension |
| Players involved in the first battle during the warm-up period | Automatic 10-game suspension | Automatic 10-game suspension |
