3 QMJHL Players to Total 500 or More PIM in a Season

We’re now in an era where major attempts to eliminate fighting from Canadian major junior hockey are drastically reducing the penalty minutes totals of individual players. However, there was a time not too long ago when players were regularly sitting 300 or more PIM in a season. In the QMJHL, three players have accumulated more than 500 minutes in penalties in a single regular season.

As for the rest of the Canadian Hockey League, the Western Hockey League also has three players in league history that have accumulated 500 or more penalty minutes in a single season. The Ontario Hockey League has a much tamer record at just 384.

Joel Theriault – Halifax Mooseheads / Drummondville Voltigeurs

Theriault holds the QMJHL and CHL record for most PIM in a single season with 573 over 63 games in 1995-96, a 9.10 PIM per game average. Joel was in the last of three years in a QMJHL career that saw him play for the St. Jean Lynx, Beauport Hargangs, Halifax and Drummondville. Over his time in the QMJHL career, he played 189 games and sat 1,023 minutes in the box.

Joel was a fourth round pick of the Washington Capitals at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, 95^th overall. He played pro from 1996-97 to 2011-12 but never in the NHL. Theriault spent from 2000-01 to 2011-12 in the Quebec semi-pro leagues. In 297 combined games in the QSPHL and LNAH, Joel sat an amazing 2,899 minutes, a 9.76 PIM per game average.

Sylvain Nantel – Trois-Rivieres Draveurs

In 1983-84 with Trois-Rivieres, Nantel sat 564 PIM in just 53 games for an astounding 10.64 average. It was Sylvain’s second of three seasons in the QMJHL. Along with the Draveurs, he also played for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. In 135 QMJHL regular season games, Nantel totalled 1,208 PIM. The end of his QMJHL career was the end of his hockey career. Nantel did not advance to any form of professional hockey.

Jason Spence – Sherbrooke Faucons

As a rookie, Spence was assessed 515 penalty minutes over 64 regular season games, an 8.05 average. It was his first of two seasons in the QMJHL with the Sherbrooke franchise. In his first year, the team was known as the Faucons. In his second, the team changed names, reverting back to the traditional Castors moniker. In 131 QMJHL games, Spence was in the sin bin for 763 minutes.

Jason played professional hockey from 1999-00 to 2008-09, mostly in the ECHL with the Johnstown Chiefs. His PIM totals lowered significantly as his career progressed. With Johnstown, Spence most always had a ‘C’ or ‘A’ on his jersey.