The Ontario Hockey League has suspended Ottawa ’67s forward Tyler Boucher two games for his role in a fight against Marc Boudreau of the Sudbury Wolves.

Boudreau delivered a high, hard hit on Ottawa’s Brady Stonehouse. Referees Matt Scott and Brendan Kane immediately called Boudreau for an illegal check to the head which would see him ejected from the game.   Before they could enact their punishment, though, Boucher delivered a response of his own.

 


The ’67’s winger threw off his gloves and went after Boudreau, continuing to throw punches after both players were down on the ice, with linesmen Shawn Oliver and Jacob Lamothe smothering and separating the two.

Boucher was ejected as well, picking up the fighting major and an extra penalty for being the aggressor in the altercation.  Now the league has tacked on some additional time.  120 minutes, to be exact.

Here’s Rule 46.2:

The aggressor in an altercation shall be the player who continues to throw punches in an attempt to inflict punishment on his opponent who is in a defenseless position or who is an unwilling combatant.

A player must be deemed the aggressor when he has clearly won the fight but he continues throwing and landing punches in a further attempt to inflict punishment and/or injury on his opponent who is no longer in a position to defend himself.

A player who is deemed to be the aggressor of an altercation shall be assessed a major penalty for fighting and a game misconduct. A player who is deemed to be the aggressor of an altercation will have this recorded as an aggressor of an altercation for statistical and suspension purposes.

It’s interesting to note that Boucher was deemed the aggressor – but not the instigator – of this fight, at least as far as the gamesheet is concerned.  Had he been, which he clearly was, he would’ve tacked on an additional 12 minutes in penalties.

 

Boucher was suspended six games earlier this month for a hit on Luc Brzustowski of the Soo Greyhounds that caused Brzustowski to suffer a seizure on the ice.