Ontario Hockey League facing potential ban on fighting, body checking next season

This is one of those things that hockey purists hate to hear. According to a new interview with Ontario Minister of Sports Lisa MacLeod, fighting and even body checking may be banned if the Ontario Hockey League wants to return for the 2020-21 season any time soon.

"The fact is that you can't have physical contact right now… We certainly will not be allowing people to be body checking at the moment. We are trying to contain a healthcare crisis," said MacLeod in an interview with TSN's Rick Westhead.

Ontario is currently going through a large spike in its cases of COVID-19, with government officials frantically trying to contain it. The OHL wants to open training camps by mid-November with the hope of starting the 2020-21 season on December 1st. MacLeod told Westhead that U.S.-based OHL teams will either relocate to Ontario for the season to avoid cross-border travel or they will remain in the U.S. and only play other American-based teams. As for spectators in the stands, it doesn't look likely.

"I don't see that happening at the moment," said MacLeod. "The last thing we want is to open and then have unintended consequences that put the safety and well-being of the athletes, spectators... and others at risk.”

The Quebec-based QMJHL recently announced new rules aimed at curbing the number of fights in the league. The new rules will give both fighters a 10-minute misconduct as well as a five-minute major. The two-minute minor will stay the same. Players will receive a one-game suspension for every fight after their 3rd fight in a season. QMJHL officials voted for these new rules after asking for a $20 million aid package from the provincial government. MacLeod states the OHL and the Ontario government have discussed an aid package, but no specific request has been made at this time.

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