Multi-brawl game that drew 572 penalty minutes a ‘black eye’ on N.L. hockey: official

ST. JOHN’S — A Newfoundland junior hockey league executive says a recent game that involved three on-ice brawls and resulted in 572 penalty minutes is a “black eye” and an “embarrassment” to the sport in St. John’s.

Boyd Hillier, vice-president of the St. John’s Junior Hockey League, says the violent game was an isolated incident and officials have since handed out suspensions to 18 players and coaches worth a collective total of 53 games.

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He says the third quarterfinal playoff game on March 7 between the St. John’s Junior Caps and the Southern Shore Junior Breakers had to end early because all four goalies had been thrown out for fighting.

Hillier pointed at the Breakers, saying in an interview that the team decided it “didn’t want to play hockey anymore and wanted to get physical.”

In a post on the Breakers’ Facebook page, the team disagreed with Hillier’s summary, saying it did not reflect the efforts or intentions of the coaches, players or organization.

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.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2024.

The Canadian Press