So, Patrick Roy's kid has been charged with assault after that infamous March QMJHL brawl which you can see here if you missed it.
Am I alone in thinking that police involvement in this case is just a little too harsh? Sure, what he did was cowardly and something we don't need in hockey. But was it really worthy of a criminal charge? I think there are definitely cases where police involvement is necessary, where a players actions clearly exceed what should be tolerated in the sport. But is this one of them? I don't think so....I think this is a case which can be dealt with by the QMJHL instead of in the courts.
The QMJHL did suspend Roy for 7 games, which is not nearly long enough for the incident; I'd have started at around 20 games. I'm all for a good fight (or two, or three or four) but leagues need to be tougher on the out-of-control goonery Roy Jr displayed - jumping and pummeling opponents who don't want to fight, etc. But I think a potential assault conviction and the ensuing criminal record are just a bit much for this incident.
In an unrelated (but related all the same) story, the former captain of a Calgary Jr. B team was sentenced to 30 days in jail earlier this week for punching and kicking a linesman after being ejected from a Jr. B game. Now, this was a good example of a case where the courts needed to be involved....
4 comments:
I don't agree Alan. You pointed out yourself that the league did not come down on him nearly hard enough. If you go out and beat up a guy who does not want to fight outside the hockey arena you it would rightly be considered assault. Hockey players are subject to the same laws as the rest of us. There is a huge difference between two guys dropping their gloves and going at it and what happened in that game. It was straight forward assault and should be treated as such - the league obviously were very weak in their response, so justice needs to be served by someone!
Mike - so if the league had suspended Roy for a very long time, would you then think that the police should stay out of it?
To me, it's either worthy of a criminal charge or it isn't, regardless of what the league does about it. The QMJHL could have named Roy player of the week for that display instead of suspending him 7 games and I'd still think it didn't merit going to court.
The comparision to beating a guy up on the street is apples and oranges because when you step on the ice, you are consenting to be subjected to some degree of violence that is part of playing the game. Otherwise, from a legal point of view, every slashing penalty could also be an assault-with-a-weapon charge.
The question is where the line is crossed between what's "part of the game" and what isn't.....
I think, had there been a long suspension people, like myself would have seen justice as having been done, but a little slap on the wrist is not enough! If they don't take him to court no further punishment would ever be exacted. I tend to think his father ought to be included too, since he signaled to him to go down the other end and do it. Inciting to violence can be a crime too!
"you are consenting to be subjected to some degree of violence that is part of playing the game"
Are you seriously suggesting that anyone who plays hockey opens themselves up to that kind of premeditated violence? I think not!
I'm not saying anyone consents to that level of violence, no. But I also don't think it's a level of violence that needs to go beyond the league's mandate to police itself.
Obviously the QMJHL suspension is a joke. 7 games for a backup goalie who probably wouldn't have seen the ice in any of them anyway? Not enough. They should have thrown the book at him. But I also don't think he (potentially) needs to go to jail for it either.
There are things that can (and sometimes do) happen on the ice that people should go to jail for. I don't think this gets to that level but obviously many people do.
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