Junior hockey player convicted of assault for cross-check
Sep 18, 2009 11:23 AM
THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL A Quebec junior hockey player has been found guilty of assault with a weapon after cross-checking an opponent in the face last fall.
Youth court Judge Jacques A. Nadeau said in Montreal today the court did not believe the actions to be accidental.
Nadeau also says it's clear the law extends to hockey arenas and that players need to understand this.
The accused, who was 17 at the time, was facing one count of assault causing bodily harm and a second charge of assault with a weapon.
The defence argued the accused was merely following hockey's unwritten code of engagement and that the stick attack in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game was accidental.
Nadeau ordered a stay on the bodily harm charge.
A publication ban prevents the names of the accused and the victim from being made public.
Sentencing arguments will be heard later today.
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I don't like this for a split second! Once we STOP enforcing the rules that are very clearly laid out and allow the courts to get involved, then it becomes an entirely different game! Can you just imagine the bottleneck scheduling in the already overloaded judicial system? This won't be a pretty picture years down the road, everyone will be suing everybody for ANY stick infraction! Not good at all!
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