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Quebec Remparts fans litter ice with debris at Memorial Cup (VIDEO)

Quebec coach-GM Philippe Boucher was fined for criticizing a referee earlier in the Memorial Cup (Aaron Bell, OHL Images)
Quebec coach-GM Philippe Boucher was fined for criticizing a referee earlier in the Memorial Cup (Aaron Bell, OHL Images)

The players on the ice at the Memorial Cup are mostly teenagers, but the real juveniles at the Colisée on Friday were fans who littered the ice with various projectiles in the second period as the host Quebec Remparts unravelled in the semifinal against the Kelowna Rockets.

Even poutine was launched on to the ice. You never throw away poutine!

On Wedneday, after his team was shut out by rival Rimouski, Remparts coach-GM Philippe Boucher blasted referee Olivier Gouin and was assessed a $10,000 fine. Whether it was the sight of Gouin returning to officiate Friday's game that pushed the bile among Remparts fans or their fatigued team giving up three goals in rapid succession early in the second period to fall almost hopelessly behind, some partisans were on a hair trigger, booing every perceived uncalled penalty. The other referee, Jonathan Alarie, was also from the QMJHL.

A no-call following a tangle-up behind the Rockets net between Kelowna's Madison Bowey and Quebec's Jérome Verrier was the final straw.


As play continued, objects sailed out of the ice, forcing a stoppage in play and perhaps making the Remparts and their league look bad by association.

The deep passion for hockey in Quebec City has created a wonderful atmosphere at many of the games this week, most particularly during the Quebec-Oshawa Generals game last Sunday. For the most part, the tournament's been a fitting victory lap for the 66-year-old  Colisée, which will be torn down in September.

It just boiled over as the game got away from the tired Remparts, who were playing their 12th game in 25 days and were in tough against the more rested Rockets. There's a diminished sense of accountability when one is in a crowd of more than 10,000 people and, sadly, some people couldn't resist the temptation to give in to their baser urges.

There is no excuse for that. Fortunately, no player slipped on the debris.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.