Today, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League fined the Shawinigan Cataractes hockey club $2,000 for “inappropriate comments made on April 7th 2011 by the team’s General Manager, Martin Mondou, in regards to the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup selection process as well as towards the Saint John Sea Dogs.”
QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau had this to say in a press release:
“The accusatory comments made by the Cataractes’ General Manager were inappropriate and unacceptable,” said the Commissioner. “The selection process for the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup was conducted by an independent committee that worked hard to analyse all the possible candidates. Comments that cast a doubt on the credibility of a member club or committee do not have their place. It is of the utmost importance that clubs operate within an environment of respect.”The Shawinigan newspaper L’Hebdo du St. Maurice reports that Mondou’s comments came in an interview with RDS’ Stephane Leroux on CKAC Radio Thursday. Much like the Shawinigan media has been discussing for months, Mondou criticized the Sea Dogs for the way they built their team, a.k.a. the controversial 2009 QMJHL Entry Draft.
You can read the transcribed version of his comments here en francais or listen to it here.
Mondou can’t be too surprised he was fined. It’s probably not the best idea in the world to make accusations like this on the radio.
Sea Dogs fans have already voiced their displeasure of the selection by cheering against the Cataractes during the out-of-town scoreboard at Harbour Station and by posting comments on the league’s Facebook page. After the selection announcement, The QMJHL had a poll up on their Facebook page asking who should have been awarded the Memorial Cup but it was taken down a few hours later. At last check, Saint John had almost 50 votes. Shawinigan had none.
All of this hate will make for an interesting little rivalry next season.
Photo Credit: La Nouvelliste
a more fitting fine would have been loss of the privilege of being the host city
ReplyDeleteBoom.
ReplyDeleteWhat was so controversial about the 2009 draft?
ReplyDeleteThe Sea Dogs drafted some players who said they were going the NCAA route but chose Saint John after being drafted.
ReplyDelete