Players in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey league will be facing harsher penalties for fighting.
New rules came into effect earlier this week and include a 10-minute misconduct penalty for players implicated in a fight, in addition to the five-minute major penalty.
An automatic 1-game suspension will be assessed after the third fight, and for any additional fight.
Here’s a table that breaks down the different in-game situations which would warrant a penalty:
| Game situation | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 |
| Fighting Code 2-2 | Major penalty | Major penalty + Misconduct penalty |
| Code 4-1 Aggressor | Automatic 1-game suspension | Automatic 1-game suspension |
| Code 4-1 Aggressor – Goaltender judged aggressor against a player | Automatic 5-game suspension | Automatic 5-game suspension |
| Code 4-1 Aggressor – Goaltender judged aggressor on another goaltender | Automatic 10-game suspension | Automatic 10-game suspension |
| Code 1-4, 2-2 and 3-4 Instigator | Minor penalty, major penalty and misconduct penalty | Minor penalty, major penalty, and misconduct penalty |
| Code 1-4, 2-2 Instigator | Minor penalty and major penalty | This situation will not be available anymore |
| Code 4-2 in the last 5 minutes of play with a two-goal differential | Game misconduct penalty | Game misconduct penalty |
| Code 1-4, 2-2 and 4-4 Instigator in the last 5 minutes of play or in overtime | Minor penalty, major penalty, and game misconduct penalty | Minor penalty, major penalty, game misconduct penalty |
| Code 4-3 Fight between a player and a goaltender | Automatic 5-game suspension | Automatic 5-game suspension |
| Code 4-6 Second fight by the same player during the same stoppage of play | Game misconduct penalty | Game misconduct penalty |
| Code 4-7 Second fight during the same stoppage of play | Automatic 1-game suspension | Automatic 1-game suspension |
| Code 4-10 Staged fight | Automatic 1-game suspension | Automatic 2-game suspension |
| Accumulation of code 2.2 | Automatic 1-game suspension starting with the 11th fight | a- Automatic 1-game suspension starting with the 3rd fightb- Automatic 1-game suspension for any additional fight |
| Accumulation of codes 3.4, 4 and 5 | Starting with a 4th infraction, an automatic 1-game suspension | Starting with a 4th infraction, an automatic 1-game suspension |
| Players involved in the first battle during the warm-up period | Automatic 10-game suspension | Automatic 10-game suspension |
