ST. JOHN’S — An investigation into a Newfoundland junior hockey game that exploded into three brawls and racked up 572 minutes in penalties has resulted in sweeping suspensions, according to a league official.
Boyd Hillier, vice-president of the St. John’s Junior Hockey League, said the violent game on March 7 between the St. John’s Junior Caps and the Southern Shore Junior Breakers was a “black eye” on hockey in the region. The league has since handed out suspensions to 18 players and coaches worth a collective total of 53 games, Hillier said Saturday.
Video appearing to show footage from the night of roiling tangles of players shedding their gloves and throwing punches has raised eyebrows across the country.
“It’s just downright embarrassing,” Hillier said in an interview.
“Yes, there are going to be fights every now and then, but not this type,” he added. “We don’t want this in our league, so we had to try to come down hard on it.”
The match on March 7 was the third quarterfinal playoff game between the Caps and the Breakers, both of which are junior teams, whose players are mostly between 18 and 21. The Caps were up 2-0 when the fists began swinging, Hillier said. The game had to be called off early in the third period because all four goalies had been tossed out for fighting, he said.
A game summary on the St. John’s Junior Hockey League website initially said referees doled out 568 minutes in penalties, but the total was since updated to 572. Breakers’ players were penalized 324 minutes and the Caps got 248.
By comparison, there was an average of 45 penalty minutes in the 15 games before March 7, according to tallies on the league’s website.
Hillier pointed at the Breakers, saying the team decided it “didn’t want to play hockey anymore and wanted to get physical.”
However, the Breakers disagree with his assessment. A post on the team’s Facebook page Friday said Hillier’s comments do not reflect the efforts or intentions of the coaches, players or organization.
“Our organization is also dismayed by the events that took place during (the game) and recognizes the impact that these actions, and the portrayal of them through media coverage, are having on the game of hockey in our province, as well as on the families and fans who support and enjoy the game,” the post said.
The post said the team has requested a meeting with the league’s executives.
Hillier said 12 players and coaches from the Breakers received suspensions totalling 45 games, while six caps players got suspensions totalling eight games. Three of four goalies got suspensions, he said, adding that the fourth — with the Caps — was found to be an unwilling participant in the ruckus.
“Some of these guys are going to sit out next year for the first five games in the year,” he said. “That’s almost one quarter of the schedule.”
The Breakers’ post said the team plans to appeal several suspensions, adding that some were “disproportionate based on the level of penalties assessed during the game.”
The team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In 2023, amateur hockey in Newfoundland and Labrador attracted national attention when the province’s governing body for the sport temporarily banned post-game handshakes, citing “issues” that had led to suspensions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2024.
The Canadian Press
