Skip to main content

If the provincial police in Quebec decide to charge Patrice Cormier of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies for his attack on Mikael Tam of the Quebec Remparts, he will just be the latest player hauled into court for something that happened during a game.

Records show players in leagues ranging from the amateur to the NHL were hauled into court for their on-ice assaults going back more than 100 years. The charges ranged from manslaughter to simple assault. Here are some highlights:

1905: During an exhibition game, Alicide Laurin, 24, of Alexandria, Ont., died instantly when Allan Loney, 19, from Maxville, Ont., hit him over the head with his stick. Mr. Loney was charged with manslaughter and pleaded self-defence. An Ottawa jury found him not guilty.

1907: A brawl erupted during an amateur game in Ottawa that left Owen McCourt of Cornwall, Ont., dead from a head injury. Charles Masson of the Ottawa Victorias was charged with manslaughter for hitting Mr. McCourt with his stick. Mr. Masson was acquitted when it could not be proved he struck the fatal blow.

1953: Bob Gillies, 17, of the Collingwood Greenshirts died after being driven head-first into the boards by Walter Fines, 18, during an Ontario junior C playoff game in Collingwood. Mr. Fines was charged with manslaughter, but a jury in Barrie, Ont., acquitted him when it decided he did not deliberately attempt to injure Mr. Gillies.

1969: Wayne Maki of the St. Louis Blues and Ted Green of the Boston Bruins engaged in a vicious stick fight during an NHL exhibition game in Ottawa. Mr. Green was left with a fractured skull and missed the entire 1969-70 season. Both players were charged with assault and both were found not guilty.

1975: Detroit Red Wings forward Dan Maloney was charged with assault causing bodily harm when he attacked Brian Glennie of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Maloney agreed to a plea bargain and did community work to avoid going to jail. The court also banned Mr. Maloney - who later coached the Leafs - from playing in Toronto for two years.

1975: Dave Forbes, 26, was charged with aggravated assault after the Bruins player hit Henry Boucha, 23, of the Minnesota North Stars in the eye with the butt end of his stick. Mr. Boucha's career was cut short by vision problems. Forbes' trial ended in with a hung jury and the charges were later dropped. Mr. Boucha filed a civil suit against Mr. Forbes, the Bruins and the NHL for $3.5-million (U.S.). It was settled for an undisclosed amount to be paid over 30 years. Mr. Boucha will receive his final payments this year.

1976: Four members of the Broad Street Bullies edition of the Philadelphia Flyers were charged with assault by the Ontario crown attorney after they wound up swinging their sticks at fans and a police officer during a brawl in an NHL playoff game against the Maple Leafs. Joe Watson and Bob Kelly eventually pleaded guilty to assault. The players paid a total of $950 in fines.

1976: Rick Jodzio of the Calgary Cowboys in the World Hockey Association was charged with assault when he hit Marc Tardif of the Quebec Nordiques on the head with his stick. Mr. Tardif filed a civil lawsuit seeking $150,000 in damages. The suit was settled for an undisclosed amount and the criminal charge was terminated.

1977: Maple Leafs enforcer Dave (Tiger) Williams was found not guilty of assault after he went to trial on a charge of assault in Toronto. He hit Dennis Owchar of the Pittsburgh Penguins with his stick.

1982: Winnipeg Jets player Jimmy Mann pleaded guilty to common assault for breaking the jaw of Paul Gardner of the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. Mr. Mann paid a $500 fine.

1988: Dino Ciccarelli of the Minnesota North Stars was charged by the Ontario crown with assault when he hit Leafs defenceman Luke Richardson with his stick. Mr. Ciccarelli was found guilty and sentenced to one day in jail and paid a $1,000 fine.

2000: In the last act of his NHL career, Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins attacked the Vancouver Canucks' Donald Brashear from behind and hit him over the head with his stick, Mr. McSorley was convicted of assault with a weapon in a Vancouver court and received 18 months probation.

2004: Todd Bertuzzi of the Canucks attacked Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche from behind after Mr. Moore refused to respond to several attempts by Mr. Bertuzzi to fight him. Mr. Bertuzzi was trying to avenge a hit Moore put on Canucks star Markus Naslund in a previous game. The attack ended Mr. Moore's career and Mr. Bertuzzi received an absolute discharge after he pleaded guilty in Vancouver to assault causing bodily harm. Moore filed a lawsuit against Mr. Bertuzzi, the NHL, the Canucks and several others, seeking more than $38-million in damages. It is still before the court.

Interact with The Globe