Good Friday Massacre

The Good Friday Massacre, (French: la bataille du Vendredi saint), was a second-round playoff match-up during the 1984 NHL Playoffs. The game occurred on Good Friday, April 20, 1984 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, between the Quebec Nordiques and the Montreal Canadiens. After a number of fights, a bench-clearing melee broke out during the second period. Due to the length of the stoppage in play, referee Bruce Hood terminated the second period, adding the remaining time to the third period. When the teams returned to ice for the extended third period, a second brawl broke out between the teams, including players who had already been ejected from the game but had not been notified prior to their return to the ice. The officials were summoned to the rink to restore order.

A total of 252 penalty minutes were incurred and 10 players were ejected. The altercations included the Canadiens' Mario Tremblay smashing the nose of the Nordiques' Peter Stastny, and Louis Sleigher knocking Jean Hamel unconscious by hitting him in the eye, causing damage that contributed to the end of his career. This game prompted Hood to retire from the NHL once the playoffs ended.