A pair of former QMJHL players have been sentenced to lengthy prison sentences by Quebec Judge Thomas Jacques for their assault of an underage woman at a hotel during celebrations of the Victoriaville Tigres QMJHL championship.
The former players are Nicolas Daigle, who was sentenced to 32 months in jail, along with Massimo Siciliano, who was sentenced to 30 months in jail. They plead guilty last October to the assault of the 17-year-old, who was an employee at the hotel where they were staying to celebrate winning the title of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
Prosecutor Michel Bérubé indicated his satisfaction with the ruling:
“We have two individuals who were playing for … a prestigious league in Quebec, who committed acts and were found guilty and were sent to prison today,” Bérubé told reporters.
“It’s a significant sentence that reflects the gravity of what happened.”
It is long overdue that sexual predators, and the sexual deviant subculture in junior hockey is exposed and penalized with real and serious consequences.
This is unfortunately a behavior that is not uncommon among junior hockey players. The sentencing judge showed great courage in sentencing these young men to prison. It should send a message through the entire hockey community that this bavior will no longer be covered up.
