QMJHL player suspended for stomping on opponent in the Memorial Cup

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an English translation of an article published to our sister site Habsolument Fan by HF staff writer Marco Normandin.

The 2026 Memorial Cup tournament was meant to be a showcase for the best prospects in Canadian junior hockey. But an incident during the game between the Chicoutimi Saguenéens and the Kitchener Rangers made headlines for all the wrong reasons, sending shockwaves far beyond the ice.

A dangerous act that has set social media ablaze

During a battle for the puck in the corner, Saguenéens defenseman Jordan Tourigny delivered several blows with his skate blade to the foot of Rangers forward Christian Humphreys . The Ontario player collapsed on the ice, visibly injured by the hit. Officials reacted quickly, assessing Tourigny with a five-minute major penalty and ejecting him from the game.

The incident immediately sparked outrage among the opposing players, who rushed towards the Quebec defenseman to express their displeasure. The younger brother of Miguel Tourigny , a former Montreal Canadiens prospect, now faces a potentially severe suspension. Some suggested the 21-year-old might have aimed for his opponent's stick rather than his foot, but this explanation seemed unlikely to convince the head of discipline, as skating is subject to a zero-tolerance policy in hockey due to the extreme danger it poses.

In the wake of his viral gesture, the Canadian Hockey League wasted no time and announced that Tourigny was suspended for the remainder of the Memorial Cup tournament.

It must be said that he is 21 years old and will not be returning to junior hockey next year, so this is the maximum suspension that could be given to him.

It is also said that the NHL was even consulted before making this verdict.

Tourigny received death threats

In an official statement published on its social media channels, the QMJHL acknowledged that Tourigny's actions were regrettable and that the player himself felt deep remorse. However, the league strongly condemned the wave of hatred, death threats, and violent messages that were directed at the young man in the hours following the incident.

The QMJHL reiterated a reality that many seem to forget in the heat of the moment: its players are between 16 and 20 years old. They are young, developing athletes who deserve the respect and support of the community, even when they make mistakes. The league emphasized that hockey remains a sport and that its participants must be treated with dignity, regardless of the circumstances.

This stance from the QMJHL highlights an increasingly worrying phenomenon in the world of amateur sports, where social media allows thousands of strangers to directly target young athletes. While disciplinary action is expected to be announced in the coming days regarding Jordan Tourigny , the league has clearly drawn a line between legitimate criticism of a sporting action and online harassment.