Patrick King

Patrice Cormier.

The Québec Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League continued sending messages.

With the playoffs now well underway, both leagues haven't been shy of punishing players for significant time.

The first major suspension came in the dying minutes of the regular season when Moncton's Scott Trask was given a 15-game suspension for a hit to the head of Saint John's Aidan Kelly. The play came with less than five minutes remaining in the final regular season meeting on Mar. 14, a game in which the Wildcats won 5-2.

Trask has been out of the lineup for Moncton's first three playoff games against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The Wildcats lead the series three games to none heading into Wednesday's Game Four.

The league remains consistent in its stance to eliminate violence from the game after suspending Rouyn-Noranda's Patrice Cormier for the season and playoffs for a hit in January.

"The bar has been set and we will continue to be very stern regarding hits to the head," QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau said in a release. "The safety and well-being of our players is the main focus of the league's efforts."

The OHL has been just as severe in handing out its punishment this season. Barrie Colts forward Zac Rinaldo was given a 12-game suspension following his blindside hit on Sudbury Wolves forward Marcus Foligno in Sunday's 6-2 Barrie win.

Bad blood began spilling over late in Game Two of Barrie's series with Sudbury. Several fights broke out at the buzzer and after the dust had settled, the Colts raised their sticks in celebration at center ice at the Sudbury Community Arena.

Rinaldo's suspension was just one of three resulting from Sunday's game. Sudbury heavyweight Kain Allicock jumped Colts captain Stefan Della Rovere following a faceoff and was given five games. His teammate, Jared Staal, was also assessed a five-game suspension after slashing Barrie forward Alexander Burmistrov in the back of the legs at center ice.

Much has been made from both league's decisions this season. The junior hockey world was thrust in the headlines for all the wrong reasons several times this season and both leagues reacted swiftly.

The first instance was in October when overage forward Mike Liambas drilled 16-year-old rookie Ben Fanelli into the boards. Fanelli suffered skull and facial fractures as a result of the hit and the OHL suspended Liambas for the season and playoffs, thus ending his junior career.

Fanelli has not since played and his hockey career could be over.

Windsor Spitfires forward Zack Kassian was suspended 20-games for a vicious check on Barrie's Matt Kennedy in January. Kassian's suspension came in his first game with his new team and the Spitfires appealed the suspension to no avail.

Kennedy missed two weeks and returned to action far sooner than Kassian.

Four days later, Cormier, also playing with a new team, elbowed Québec's Mikael Tam to the head and left the Remparts defenceman convulsing on the ice. Tam spent a few days in hospital, but returned to action in early March.

Both leagues should be commended for their consistency in their rulings. Much has been made of the league's wishes to eliminate gratuitous violence from the game and each league was given the opportunity to follow up by their actions.

If the Colts are successful in winning the Eastern Conference, as many predict they will, Rinaldo will be back at some point in the league championship series, if not sooner.

His hit is reminiscent of Steve Downie's hit on Dean McAmmond a few seasons ago in the National Hockey League. Rinaldo lined up Foligno behind the net and hit him while Foligno's back was turned, all while Foligno was not in possession of the puck.

It's evident the league took Rinaldo's track record into account. Twice last season Rinaldo delivered punishing blows along the boards while a member of the London Knights. Rinaldo pancaked Erie teammates Ryan O'Reilly and Andrew Yogan similarly in separate games and his reputation as a dirty player is well known around the league.

Barrie acquired Rinaldo from London at the trade deadline for his grit and physical presence. The Colts will now have to do without him for the better part, or the remainder, of their playoff run. Barrie leads the first-round series three games to none over Sudbury with Game Four taking place Wednesday night in Sudbury.

It would have been easy for each league to issue a shorter suspension and a slap on the wrist, given the importance of the playoffs. However, in remaining consistent with its long suspensions, both leagues are not only gaining respect, but following through with their message towards eliminating violence in junior.