Cormier Facing Charges

by Micheal Aldred on May 11, 2010 in League News - 29 Comments

Former Team Canada World Juniors captain, Patrice Cormier, will be facing charges of “assault causing injury,” says Annie-Claude Bergeron, a spokes-person for the Crown prosecutor’s office of Rouyn-Noranda. Cormier will appear in court on July 12 for his hit on Mikael Tam on January 25th of 2010.

The QMJHL suspended Cormier for the rest of the regular season and playoffs following the incident. Tam spent a night in the hospital, then returned and was suspended 2 games himself for a hit from behind against the Gatineau Olympiques on March 12th 2010.

This is a dangerous road for any league to be taking regarding hockey. Though it was a dangerous hit, it is not often a hockey play is brought under review in court. The QMJHL had taken actions to suspend Cormier from the league, but outside law actions cause a hazardous outlook on the game itself.

It begs to question if any incidental contact (body contact, fighting, stick infractions) cause an injury to a player if the law can immediately intervene in the situation. I, for one, hope the league finds a way to separate the sport from common crimes.

Micheal A. Aldred

Tags: Acadian people, Annie-Claude Bergeron, cormier, Crown prosecutor, Gatineau Olympiques, hockey, ice hockey, injury, Judicial Event, Juniors captain, Micheal A. Aldred, outside law actions, Patrice Cormier, player, Provinces and territories of Canada, qmjhl, Quebec, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, tam, World Juniors captain Print article