Martin Laperriere was disciplined for Baie-Comeau’s actions during a game against the Maineiacs.
Baie-Comeau Drakkar coach Martin Laperriere has been suspended indefinitely by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Tuesday pending league meetings with officials from the Drakkar and the Lewiston Maineiacs.
The suspension was announced Tuesday via the league’s Web site (www.lhjmq.qc.ca) and was a surprise to some Maineiacs officials.
Until further notice, there are no more suspensions from the melee that interrupted play for 31 minutes during the third period of Lewiston’s home game against the Drakkar at the Central Maine Civic Center Saturday. Lewiston won the game 5-0.
“I had no idea that it happened,” said Maineiacs assistant coach Ed Harding, who was behind the bench during last Saturday’s altercation between Baie-Comeau and Lewiston. “I know that they had been in discussions with Norm (Gosselin, the team’s General Manager), but I know nothing until they send word to me.”
According to Gosselin, the league will meet with Harding and Laperriere separately. Harding will have his chance to speak about last Saturday’s game on Wednesday when the team arrives in Quebec for a game against the Remparts. Laperriere and Baie-Comeau officials will meet with the league Friday.
“I can’t comment on the brawl at all,” said Gosselin, who is scouting at the Under-17 Championships in St. John’s, Newfoundland. “I haven’t even seen the video, yet. The league will handle it properly, I am sure, but I don’t know anything more than that.”
The General Manager from Baie-Comeau was with Gosselin in St. John’s, and he hasn’t seen the video, either.
Gosselin did, however, weigh in about his team’s conduct.
“From what I have been told by many people, I am very proud at the way Ed and Jeff (Guay) handled the situation,” said Gosselin. “They did a very good job under the circumstances.”
NOTES: If the QMJHL still counted 10-minute penalties as statistics, Lewiston and Baie-Comeau would have been nearing the record for penalty minutes in the league. According to official scorer Jim Anderschat, Lewiston would have racked up 221 minutes, while Baie-Comeau would have registered 293. Officially, Baie-Comeau had 103 minutes and Lewiston 91, making them No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in terms of single-game penalty minutes this season. Of the 23 instances this season in which at least one team has recorded 50 or more penalty minutes, Baie-Comeau has been on the ice 10 times, compared to just five for Lewiston. In every game except that against Baie-Comeau, it was a Lewiston opponent that exceeded 50 minutes.
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