The scene occurred on April 16, during a first division men’s college hockey game between the Boomerang of Cégep André-Laurendeau and the Filons of Thetford Mines.
Tied 3 to 3, at the very end of the second period, a Boomerang defender cleared the disc on a penalty called against his clan. The gesture of frustration had serious consequences when the puck hit referee Antoine Huot in the face, the latter collapsing bleeding on the ice.
The official’s injuries are significant. Antoine Huot, who does not wish to grant interviews, lost three teeth and suffered a fractured facial bone. A photo viewed by The sun shows the official’s broken teeth and cracked lips in the hospital.
Father of a six-month-old baby, the police officer eats through a straw and has been off work since April 16. Huot will have to undergo a transplant and an operation to rebuild a bone in the coming weeks.
In the days following the last match of the series between André-Laurendeau and Thetford Mines, the RSEQ awarded a four-game suspension (one automatic and three additional) to the offending player, which allowed him to return to play. during the ultimate match of the RSEQ D1 final, Sunday afternoon, in Sorel.
Sources confirm that the four official officials for the said meeting hesitated for a long time before showing up at the Colisée Cardin. The Boomerang took top honors.
Referees disagreeing
A referee in the Maritimes Quebec Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for several years, Olivier Gouin speaks publicly to “make himself heard” and denounce what he considers to be a situation contrary to “common sense”.
“We didn’t have a number of matches [de suspension espéré] in the lead, but we at least expected that his season [au joueur en question] is finished, believes the one whom fellow arbitrators have designated as spokesperson. He may have been unlucky to hit the linesman in the face, but the message should have been clear. His season should have been over.”
The Quebec referee, Olivier Gouin. (QMJHL)
“I support Olivier 100%,” adds a respected veteran QMJHL official who wishes to remain anonymous. This is nonsense to me. There were five games left in his season. We could easily have told him: ”You didn’t want to hurt him, ok, but you had to control your emotions, it’s over for you this year.” That would have helped to ease the officials’ feeling of helplessness .”
Hockey Quebec reacts
The management of the file by the RSEQ disciplinary committee was closely monitored by Hockey Québec. The federation’s executive director of hockey operations, former official Stéphane Auger, believes that the “rules and process” were respected.
“Everything was done properly and there is a part that we don’t necessarily control,” he explains. There are several factors to consider and we judged that the RSEQ had respected the process.
For greater protection
Olivier Gouin and his refereeing colleges believe that the RSEQ sent the wrong message to the players, but also to the officials. “We don’t feel supported and protected, everyone has thrown the ball at each other in this matter,” laments the man who has participated in the Olympic Games, World Championships and Memorial Cup tournaments.
“We are all disappointed and frustrated.”
— Olivier Gouin
Referee Olivier Gouin believes that the RSEQ missed a good opportunity to send a “message”. (Andre Ringuette/LHJMQ)
The 32-year-old official says he speaks on behalf of “several dozen” colleagues, several of whom refuse to speak out publicly for fear of harming their careers in hockey. Olivier Gouin repeats that he is not leading a cabal against the offending player, but rather to remind us of the need to better protect officials.
A message to send
“We keep talking about the lack of referees, and there is a concrete situation in relation to a stupid gesture and the consequence is to allow him to play a final match,” laments he recalls the difficult months to come for his injured friend and colleague.
“It is not with cases and videos like these that we will recruit more arbitrators…”
— Olivier Gouin
Hockey is a sport that can become “dangerous” recalls Olivier Gouin, a few hours after the Boomerang of Cégep André-Laurendeau won the championship.
“We so often see gestures of frustration. There is the player who breaks a stick against a post, the one who throws the puck on the ice or into the stands. As officials, we are somewhat helpless against this. The message I would send is that after the whistles, we no longer touch the puck.
