Hockey violence questioned after QMJHL game in Moncton

The level of violence at a recent Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game between the Moncton Wildcats and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles has one parent concerned.

Kim Rayworth and her daughter’s ringette team were excited to attend a QMJHL game last week and were thrilled to have great seats behind the visitors’ bench.

She said it was a festive atmosphere and they were treated to an exciting game with several goals being scored.

But as the Wildcats started pulling away from the Screaming Eagles on the scoreboard, Rayworth said the mood suddenly changed.

“It was by and large a really fun activity for quite a while, until toward the end of the game, when the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles fell behind by five points, where the wheels really seemed to come off it,” she said on Information Morning Moncton on Monday.

There is a lot of high emotions and when you are getting beat, the emotions change a bit, and it is difficult to manage.- Paul Goobie

“Though the referee and the linesmen tried hard to control the situation, it, to my mind, it became an out-of-control situation, where the violence was just non-stop at every whistle, gloves off, sticks in every which way.”

She said she witnessed a degree of “blood lust” on the ice, which she found very uncomfortable.

Rayworth said she and others found the reaction of the fans, who were cheering on the violence, shocking.

Moncton received 21 minutes of penalties in the game compared to 24 minutes for Cape Breton.

Of the 30 penalties assessed during the game, 21 were called in the third period and 12 of those in the final minute of the game.

Bradley Lalonde suspended 4 games

Cape Breton’s Bradley Lalonde was suspended for four games because of an incident in that game.

He was assessed seven minutes of penalties during Thursday’s game, but the league said he was suspended for four games for crosschecking a Moncton player in the throat area.

Rayworth wrote a Facebook post that questioned the level of violence at the QMJHL game and she said many others responded that they are also turned off by the fighting at the games.

Paul Goobie, whose son plays high school hockey and has been a regular at hockey games, said he believes the violence at last Thursday’s game was not out of the ordinary.

Goobie said various hockey leagues have tried to reduce the amount of fights in recent years but he said some of the rough play is just part of the game.

“There is a lot of high emotions and when you are getting beat, the emotions change a bit, and it is difficult to manage,” Goobie said.