... JONATHAN ROY IS NOT

QUEBEC -- A former Quebec junior goaltender facing assault charges for an on ice incident believes police unfairly targeted him because he has a famous father.

A lawyer for Jonathan Roy, son of hall-of-fame goaltender Patrick Roy, is seeking to have the case dismissed.

At a hearing Monday, Saguenay police investigator Larry Boudreau admitted other players committed violent acts during the game but that only Roy caught the attention of police.

During the incident in question, the ex-Remparts player skated the length of the rink and pummelled opposing goalie Bobby Nadeau during a March 2008 game.

Footage of the beating was widely broadcast on television and the Internet and was the impetus for changes to how punishments are doled out in the Quebec league for extreme violence.

Roy received a seven-game suspension, while his famous father, who is the head coach and part owner of the Remparts, got a five-game suspension for encouraging his son to fight.

In a motion filed in court last month, Roy's lawyer Steve Magnan, alleged Quebec's director of public prosecutions issued a directive four months after the incident regarding how charges should be levied following sports brawls.

He argued the directive was issued just three days before charges were laid against his client.

During the hearing Monday, Nadeau himself testified he suffered no injuries as a result of the beating and that investigators called him days before the charges were laid to find out if he'd been hurt.

Roy's lawyer revealed the investigator urged Nadeau to admit he was injured in the fight.

"ROY GETS SEVEN GAMES FOR WEEKEND BRAWL"
Marianne White, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, March 25, 2008


Roger Gagnon photo for Canwest News Service
Quebec Remparts goalie Jonathan Roy (left) rains down punches on Chicoutimi Saguenéens goalie Bobby Nadeau during a second-period brawl in Chicoutimi March 22, 2008.

QUEBEC - Former Habs goaltender Patrick Roy and his son have both been suspended for their part in a brawl during a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff game Saturday night.

The elder Roy - who coaches his son's team - is suspended for five games for his prejudicial conduct. He was caught on camera gesturing to his son, but denied he encouraged him to fight.

Jonathan Roy, who plays goal for the Quebec Remparts, will sit out seven games. He was also fined $500.

Tuesday a chief prosecutor asked the Quebec Public Security department to launch a police inquiry into the incidents.

Breaking his silence Tuesday Patrick Roy apologized for the incident, in particular to Chicoutimi netminder Bobby Nadeau, who was struck repeatedly by his son during the incident.

"If I had better controlled the situation Jonathan would not have had to live what he lived through in the last 48 hours," he said.

Roy said he has sought to properly supervise his players so they could become "better persons" but added he "wasn't perfect."

"I have always sought to give them the best I could and know that I sometimes made mistakes," he said. "My objective is to not repeat these types of mistakes."

Both teams, the Remparts and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, are fined $4,000.

Richard Martel, the Sagueneens coach, received a two-game suspension.



Remparts defenceman Maxime Lacroix was also suspended for three games after hitting an opposing player while he was still down. His teammate, Marc-Oliver Vallerand, received a two-game suspension for his role in the melee.

Sagueneens winger Antoine Roussel received a one-game suspension for being the instigator in a fight, while his teammate Charles-Antoine Messier was suspended for two games. Another player, Sebastien Rioux, will miss his team's next six games for leaving the penalty box to enter the brawl.

The league's commissioner and the disciplinary committee made the decisions Tuesday after reviewing the incident.

The Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Gilles Courteau, said the organization was deeply troubled by the weekend's events.

"I'd like to warn organizations that these types of incidents will not be tolerated and that should any more occur, steep fines will be handed out," he said in a statement.

During the second period of the game, with the Remparts facing a six-goal deficit, Roy skated across the ice to deliver a pounding to Nadeau.

Following the melee, which involved almost all players from both teams, Roy also gave the crowd in the packed Chicoutimi arena the finger before leaving the ice. On Monday, he apologized for that but did not express remorse for fighting with the rival goalie.

The Sagueneens went on to win Saturday's game 10-1, tying the series at 1-1. The series was continuing Tuesday night.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest was to attend the game at Quebec's Colisee, along with Health Minister Philippe Couillard.

On Monday, Quebec Education and Sports Minister Michelle Courchesne said that she will get in touch with the league's commissioner and other provinces' counterparts to discuss trying to put an end to fighting in junior hockey.

The minister, whose son once played for the Remparts, didn't give any details on the actions she could take but said the violence had to stop.

There is a great rivalry between the Remparts and the Sagueneens and many incidents have occurred in the past, but never as ugly as Saturday.