King on CHL: Aftermath of the Brawl near Montreal

The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defeated the Baie-Comeau Drakkar but the game on an ugly note, as a team-wide brawl broke out just as the horn sounded resulting in all four goalies fighting.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League acted quickly and swiftly to the “Brawl near Montreal.”

Following an ugly ending to Game 4 of the series between Baie-Comeau and Blainville-Boisbriand, the QMJHL’s disciplinary prefect, Raymond Bolduc, suspended seven Drakkar players and five from the Armada. Cedric Paquette, whom many are identifying as the instigator to the incident, escaped suspension, but was fined $1,000 while each organization was also slapped with $5,000 fines.

Both team’s head coaches, the Armada’s Jean-Francois Houle and Baie-Comeau’s Eric Veilleux, were suspended two games each.

Video from the fight night made rounds late Wednesday. In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the video with an explanation how it got to this point.

 

QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau called it “a deplorable and isolated incident that doesn’t have its place in hockey.” Courteau also threatened to fine either team an additional $25,000 for what he deemed “inappropriate future behaviour from a player, coach or member” of both teams for the remainder of the series.

There were only four penalties called in Game 5 on Friday, but controversy couldn’t escape this series. Valentin Zykov scored the game-winner in overtime on a goal that shouldn’t have counted. Shortly after the game’s conclusion, pictures emerged on Twitter which showed Zykov off-side on the play though it wasn’t called.

 

The commissioner then needed to issue another press release to confirm the missed call. Courteau addressed the subject of video review for offside goals, and said they will bring the initiative to the Canadian Hockey League for next season.

Baie-Comeau advanced to the league final with a win in Game 6 on Sunday.

Rocket staying in Charlottetown

The P.E.I. Rocket are staying in Canada’s smallest province, after all.

A league-imposed deadline to sell the team to local investors by Friday was met early in the evening. The sale now means the team won’t relocate, with rumours rampant of a group in Sorel-Tracy, Que. eyeing a team. The new ownership group of the Rocket is unclear at this time, but should be announced at some point this week.

“They’re reputable and I think when the public meets these people they’re going to be very pleasantly surprised,” Rocket vice-president of operations Trent Birt told the Guardian. “This is setting up our franchise for many very successful seasons to come.”

The sale now means the franchise’s sole ownership during its 14 seasons, Serge Savard Sr., along with his family and a few minority partners, will no longer be a part of the team.

 

 

 

Nanaimo, B.C., Chatham, Ont. next?

Ever since the Western Hockey League planted roots in Victoria, B.C., the goal was always for another team to quickly follow on Vancouver Island. The league met with Nanaimo city officials last week to discuss building an arena that would be suitable for a WHL team.

The city’s lack of a facility up to WHL standards is the biggest stumbling block in putting two teams on the island. Nanaimo obtaining a team could be a critical component to the long-term stability of the Victoria Royals, who relocated from Chilliwack two years ago. Having two island teams would not only spark an instant rivalry, but further imprint the foothold on the island while making travel less daunting for teams.

Meanwhile, Chatham could soon land an Ontario Hockey League team with the plans to build a facility that could house a junior team.

Chatham is situated halfway between Windsor and London on Highway 401. With the Erie Otters, for one, constantly rumoured to be on the move, landing an OHL team may not be too difficult, once there is a facility worthy of having a team.

Mooseheads, Drakkar meet in Q final, fan fallout?

It’s the storyline everyone wanted to see, and rest assured, fans in Baie-Comeau haven’t forgotten Nathan MacKinnon’s preference on draft day 2011.

MacKinnon was taken first-overall by the Drakkar, but refused to report to the team in the small city on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. Instead, his stance prompted a trade to his hometown Halifax Mooseheads. Now the two teams will determine which will play in the MasterCard Memorial Cup in Saskatoon as winners of the QMJHL.

Last season, a fan in Baie-Comeau wore an oversized diaper and taunted the Mooseheads’ bench prior to a game.

MacKinnon will no doubt be public enemy No. 1 when the series heads to Baie-Comeau for Games 3 and 4.

 

 

Ryan O’Connor returns, Bulls push Colts to brink

Ryan O’Connor’s return to the Barrie Colts’ lineup didn’t bring the type of spark the team may have hoped for. O’Connor was given a 10-game suspension in the second game of the playoffs on March 23 and joined the team for Game 5 against Belleville. The Colts were unable to win the game and the series in that game and again on Saturday in Game 6, and will now play a seventh game on Monday.

Griffin Reinhart injured, will miss up to six weeks

The Edmonton Oil Kings suffered a devastating blow in their bid to repeat as Western Hockey League champions. Team captain Griffin Reinhart required surgery for a foot injury suffered in Game 3 of their series with Calgary on Tuesday.

 

 

 

The Oil Kings and Hitmen are tied at three and will close out the series in Game 7 on Tuesday.

Canada wins U18 gold

Reinhart’s younger brother, Sam, captained Canada’s under-18 team to a gold-medal victory in Sochi, Russia on Sunday. The Canadians snapped the Americans’ four-year run as gold medalists in the April tournament with the win.

 

Connor McDavid did little to shed the “Next One” label. McDavid captured best forward and tournament MVP honours following his eight goals and 14 points in just five games.

 

Jones tops Central list

The National Hockey League will hold the draft lottery on Monday, a few days after Central Scouting released its final list of players ranked for the draft. To no one’s surprise, Portland Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones placed first, while Halifax Mooseheads teammates Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin were Nos. 2 and 3. Ottawa 67’s forward Sean Monahan dropped from fourth to fifth while Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds defenceman Darnell Nurse jumped from ninth at mid-terms to fourth. The full list can be found here.   There was no change at the top on the goalie list as the Mooseheads’ Zachary Fucale, Tri-City’s Eric Comrie and Edmonton backup Tristan Jarry were first, second and third.    –          Owen Sound Attack goaltender Jordan Binnington was named the OHL’s goalie of the year.

Plymouth Whalers head coach and GM Mike Vellucci was fined $7,500 for his comments following his team’s Game 3 loss to the London Knights on Tuesday. –          The Whalers wound up losing the series in five games, meaning the Knights will now defend their league championship in the finals against the winner of the Belleville-Barrie series.

 

– The Portland Winterhawks became the first team since the 2001-2003 Red Deer Rebels to claim three-straight WHL conference titles. The Winterhawks dispatched the Kamloops Blazers in five games on Friday. They lost in the final in each of the past two years.

 

 

The Rimouski Oceanic gave a three-year contract extension to head coach Serge Beausoleil.

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