In case you’ve been hiding under a rock and haven’t seen this yet, here's a look at the infamous Patrick/Jonathan Roy incident that took place in a QMJHL game earlier this week…

I’ve been trying to stay away from this topic because, well, to be honest, I don’t think there is one absolute right or wrong answer. But it was inevitable, so here we go. Patrick Roy and his son Jonathan were wrong! Fighting is OK in hockey under certain circumstances. See what I mean? I sound like a politician walking the fence!

But I truly do believe that fighting in hockey is one of those rare acts in society that can be permitted in one situation but not another. It is completely situational. There is that fine line and when reflecting on an incident such as this, one needs to do just that and isolate it. For those that are crying for fighting to be abolished, spare me the hypocrisy! Unless you also do the same for boxing and ultimate fighting, then there’s no way you can call hockey “barbaric” as some have done following this latest “hockey violence” media circus.

Now that being said, what Patrick Roy did, by ordering his son to go down and fight his goalie counterpart, Bobby Nadeau, during a on-ice brawl, was wrong. But it wasn't wrong because fighting is wrong in general, rather it was wrong because Nadeau wanted no part of the fighting and had done nothing wrong to a Remparts player. Knowing that, Patrick nor his son should not have initiated such an act and Jonathan should not have continued to punch Nadeau once he turtled and covered up. There’s also the issue that these are kids we’re dealing with here and an example should be set.

But, let’s say Nadeau hit a Remparts defenseman from behind or jumped into the fracas surrounding him, then he’s fair game if the younger Roy decides to go challenge him one-on-one, because these kids should be able to defend each other and stick together. Was the goalie vs. goalie battles that the elder Roy participated in at the NHL level not glorified and looked at as team unity?

This incident needs to be critiqued alone and for what it was - a case of misjudgment and yes in this case, a lack of class in which Patrick Roy, the father, encouraged violence for no apparent reason but to do it and his son Jonathan obliged and beat down an opponent that clearly didn’t oblige. Should that be taken out of the game? Yes it should.

It should be taken out of the Roys’ way of living, but to blast the sport of hockey and say that fighting should be eliminated? No, it should not! Like it or not, fighting is part of the game and in many cases it brings a team together or saves violent cheap-shots and subsequent injuries from occurring. Players need to be able to defend themselves and if it means dropping the gloves on certain occasions, then so be it.