QMJHL implements harsher penalties for fighting

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will implement harsher penalties for players who fight during the upcoming 2020-21 season, it announced Wednesday.

All players involved in a fight will now be assessed a 10-minute misconduct along with a five-minute major. The misconduct will begin only after the five-minute major is served.

Players will also receive an automatic one-game suspension after their third fight and an additional one-game suspension for any additional fights afterward.

"It's very important to protect our players, to make sure he's playing in a safe environment. And today in the hockey business, the way that the game has improved, it's based on speed, skill (not fighting)," QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau told reporters Wednesday, according to The Canadian Press.

The league's season is set to kick off on Friday.