DEVELOPING: Cormier Pleads Not Guilty In On-Ice Assault Charge

Atlanta Thrashers prospect Patrice Cormier has pleaded not guilty to an assault charge comming from an elbow thrown during a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game last season.

Cormier was playing for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last January when he absolutely plowed Quebec Remparts defenseman Mikael Tam with a blow to the head. He was charged with assault causing injury. He was suspended for the remainder of his junior hockey career.

Cormier wasn't in court Monday when a lawyer entered the plea on his behalf. He is currently nursing a broken foot during Atlanta Thrashers training camp.

Tam spent a night in hospital and returned to the lineup shortly after.

Here's how the story broke at the time...
((HT: TSN/Youtube))


And the follow-up with FOSG John Lu...
((HT: TSN/Youtube))

Cormier Suspension Upheld On Appeal

((HT: QMJHL))

Atlanta Thrashers prospect Patrice Cormier has lost his appeal of a suspension for the remainder of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season and playoffs for his elbow on the Quebec Remparts' Mikael Tam back on January 25th.

Cormier, selected in the second round of the 2008 draft by New Jersey and traded to the Thrashers in the Ilya Kovalchuk deal earlier this month, has been under suspension by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League since the hit.

Tam spent two days in the hospital because the injuries.

Cormier appealed the penalty in a hearing before league commissioner Gilles Courteau on February 11. Courteau announced his final decision today.

Cormier's junior team, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, can still appeal the ruling to an independent arbitor, or Cormier can petition to play in an independent league for the remainder of the 2010 season.

To review, here's the hit that got Cormier in trouble and causes the Thrashers not to have him as a body in their minor league system.
((HT: QMJHL/TSN))

Scandella Gets 15 For Junior League Elbow

((HT: TSN))

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has suspended Val-d'Or Foreurs defenseman Marco Scandella 15 games for hitting an opponent in the head.

He popped Rimouski Oceanic forward Alexandre Durette during a game last Wednesday and had been on indefinite suspension since.

"We will continue to be very stern regarding hits to the head as well as towards any gestures which could compromise the well-being of our players," QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Courteau said in a statement.

"Moreover, we remain in constant contact with the Rimouski Oceanic organization in order to get updates on Alexandre's health and progress."

Scandella was considered one of Canada's top defensemen at this year's world junior hockey championship.

Scandella's incident is the third of that variety this year. The last one to cross the HQ's bow was the Patrice Cormier elbow on Mikael Tam a few weeks ago. While Scandella's is not as serious, it's still wrong and sets a disturbing trend in juniors from this season.

Here's the incident again for those of you who missed it the first time...
((HT: HockeyWebcast))

Another QMJHL Suspension For Head Shot...

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has suspended Val-d'Or Foreurs defenceman Marco Scandella indefinitely for hitting an opponent in the head Wednesday against the Rimouski Oceanic.

"This afternoon, (QMJHL disciplinarian) Raymond Bolduc informed me of his decision to suspend Marco Scandella indefinitely," league commissioner Gilles Courteau said in a statement. "After seeing the hit, I believe it is the right decision while the disciplinary process runs its course.

"Our position is clear: We have a responsibility to protect our players. Their safety is our No. 1 priority."

Scandella was considered to be one of Canada's top defencemen at this year's world junior hockey championship.

No timetable regarding when a decision by Bolduc...

If the Cormier suspension is anything, the HQ thinks that Scandella is next...
We'd also like to know what it is with kids that play in the "Q" in the first place...

Elbows up... here's the hit...

((HT: RDS))

Cormier Plans Appeal Of QMJHL Suspension

((HT: Rogers Sportsnet))

In much like every other proceeding in the modern era, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies' Patrice Cormier is appealing the season-long suspension regarding his elbows-up hit on the Quebec Remparts Mikael Tam.

The Huskies coach and GM Andre Tourigny said on a conference call that the suspension for the rest of the season and the playoffs was "excessive."

"He could serve up to 48 games, that's too much."

The QMJHL has not received any kind of word on an appeal from the Huskies, Cormier, or any type of Cormier representative. They haven't even gotten any of the appropriate paperwork if there was an interest. And, as a result, there is no word on any kind of appeal-based hearing between the two parties.

Everything rolls downhill in this case where the papers are concerned...
And you can't do anything without the proper papers...

FOSG Martine Gaillard anchors coverage with Louis Jean in Quebec and the HockeyCentral panel in house at the Xanadu studios...


Doug MacLean is right... please, please don't send the kid over to the KHL. That would be a different kind of punishment in and of itself...

Cormier Suspended For Remainder Of Season

((HT: TSN/CP))

In a move that shouldn't surprise anyone, junior hockey league player Patrice Cormier has been suspended for the remainder of the QMJHL season for his elbows-up hit on Mikael Tam on January 17th.

The chief disciplinarian for the league, Raymond Bolduc, called the hit "dangerous and unacceptable."

Bolduc added on Monday that Cormier would not allowed to play in any leagues under Hockey Canada's jurisdiction, but that he had five days to appeal the suspension if he wished to do so.

Cormier cannot play for the team that drafted him, the New Jersey Devils or their AHL team in Albany, New York until his junior team, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, is eliminated from the playoffs. There's a chance he could surface in lower-tier professional league.

Mike Liambas, who was suspended for the year from a hit in the Ontario Hockey League earlier in the season, has ended up playing in the International Hockey League as a playing-time substitute...

Here's the press conference from the QMJHL announcing Cormier's fate...


Here's the hit again for those of you who have forgotten how bad it was...
((HT: TSN/HockeyWebcast))

Patrice Cormier Suspended Indefinitely By QMJHL

((HT: TSN))

This is really disappointing on a few different levels. And it gives those tree-hugging, hippy, weirdo nutbags that want all the physical play out of hockey more ammunition for their cause.

Take you back to Sunday, Patrice Cormier (who was one of Team Canada's heroes- and team captain- from the recently completed World Juniors) decides to go elbows-up to the Quebec Remparts Mikael Tam. Cormier pops Tam flush, and he was out on the way down. Tam was taken to hospital for brain scans and such. It's reported that he lost a couple of teeth, but thankfully, he checked out this evening.

Cormier was suspended indefinitely by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the only thing keeping a timetable on it is that the powers-that-are were in transit to other events.

Remparts boss Patrick Roy isn't going to take this one lying down:

"One thing I didn't like was the way he left the ice," Roy said. "He didn't show that he felt sorry for what he did, he was arguing with the referee, and when he was asked to leave the ice, he was looking at our bench."

A police spokesperson says criminal charges are being looked in to...

Here's the report by Rod Smith from our friends at TSN...
The video ain't pretty...
((HT: TSN))

QMJHL: Another Long-Ass Win Streak Is Here, Too...

((HT: GlobeSports))

The Saint John Sea Dogs are inching closer to history.

Saint John has now won 21 consecutive games, good for third all-time in QMJHL history.

The 1995-96 Hull Olympiques are second with a 24-game winning streak and the 1973-74 Sorel Eperviers have the longest run at 25.

The Sea Dogs will have chance to extend their record Saturday night when they play the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Here's win 20 against the Lewiston Maineiacs from earlier in the week...
((HT: QMJHL/SeaDogsTV))