The Quebec government is calling for stricter penalties for hockey fighting in the wake of a vicious junior league hockey brawl.
The province's minister responsible for sport, Michelle Courchesne, has requested that the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft a report containing proposals on how to curb hockey fighting and violence by June.
The request comes after spectators at a March 22 game between the Quebec Remparts and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens watched goalie Jonathan Roy -- son of former NHL goalie Patrick Roy -- pummel the opposing team's goaltender.
At a joint news conference on Friday with league president Gilles Courteau, Courchesne said she would like the new rules in effect for the next hockey season.
"We want rules that are very dissuasive for the players and coaches, covering all forms of violence, whether it's verbal or physical, on the ice or off the ice,'' Courchesne said.
"There are already rules in place, but we want this to be much more dissuasive against all forms of fighting.''
Courteau said it would be nearly impossible to stop all forms of hockey fighting, but that he is not opposed to harsher sanctions, saying rule changes are part of the game's evolution.
He said the report will be the result of the work of a league committee made up of players, coaches, parents, hockey experts, members of the business community and others.
There are not expected to be any rule changes until next season.
Both coaches were suspended after last Saturday's fight, as were several players. Patrick Roy, the Remparts coach, GM and part-owner, was suspended for five games, while Jonathan was suspended for seven games.
Some observers felt the punishment was too lenient.
Harper 'concerned' over violence
The incident even got the attention of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who said during a visit to Kuujjuag, Que. on Friday that as a hockey parent, he is "concerned" with what he saw.
"We understand the Quebec league is taking a look at that," he told reporters.
"I have confidence in their ability to deal with this problem and I think that's how it should be dealt with."
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion also expressed confidence that Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will take control of the problem. Fighting "hurts the sport, hurts its image. We don't need them," Dion said. "We encourage them to move forward on this."
Police, meanwhile, are investigating the weekend brawl to determine if criminal charges will be laid.
With a report from CTV Montreal's Daniele Hamamdjian
