Nicolas Daigle and Massimo Siciliano suspended indefinitely
The QMJHL went through the criminal charges put forth on October 4, 2021 against Nicolas Daigle and Massimo Siciliano, two Victoriaville Tigres players dealing with allegations of sexual assault which would have occurred on June 6, 2021 in Lac-Beauport.
These are charges that the QMJHL takes very seriously. The respect and the integrity of individuals are at the core of the league’s values and violent sexual behaviour of any sort has no place in a sports environment like ours. We feel great sympathy for the victims of physical and sexual violence and the league stands by its zero-tolerance policy in that regard.
Given the fact that the alleged actions occurred in the margins of an activity organized by the league and due to the severity of the alleged actions, QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Courteau has decided to suspend both players from all hockey activities until the courts rule on these charges. This decision is effective immediately.
The Commissioner’s office needed time to acquaint itself with the charges and finalize some elements ahead of an announcement since the presumption of innocence remains at the forefront of our justice system. Furthermore, in accordance with the league’s rules and policies, it was important to come to an informed decision to safeguard both the public’s trust and our stakeholders’ confidence in the organization. A few key elements were considered:
- QMJHL players have the status of amateur student-athletes, they are not employees;
- QMJHL athletes are students attending schools;
- Players must be allowed to pursue their education despite the suspension;
- Players live with billet families in their host cities;
- Players stay on the QMJHL Players Help Program.
