LNAH Playoffs: Fighting to Make Sense of the 3L

The 2025 LNAH playoffs have included some great storylines, including one particular oddity that’s still playing out in the finals between Sorel-Tracy and Riviere du Loup. As is the case throughout the sport, every LNAH team’s penalty minutes and number of major penalties per game have dropped during the playoffs; except Riviere du Loup. To add to the intrigue, not only have the 3L’s PIM’s and majors per game increased in the playoffs, they’ve done so substantially. Somehow the boys from Riviere du Loup have gone from the second lowest PIMs and lowest majors per game in the regular season, to the second highest PIMs and highest number of majors per game in the playoffs. 

While far from scientific, and not broken down by individual penalties or fights vs other majors, the numbers are there. How or why is this happening? 

First, we can consider the opponents. The league’s regular season statistics show two distinctly different groups among the eight teams. Four teams ran between 432 and 489 total PIMS each, while the other four ran between 559 and 673 each. The 70 PIM per game difference between the first group’s high and the second group’s low may account for the change in Riviere du Loup’s fortunes. While their opponents, Sorel-Tracy, are moving along at 14 PIMs and 0.2 Majors per game in the playoffs, they’ve only had to deal with other low PIM teams- Jonquire and Quebec. Conversely, Riviere du Loup has had to go through PIM and Major leaders Thetford and Laval. 

Then there’s the passion factor. When the US and Canada captivated the world during the 4-Nations tournament, commentators from across the sports spectrum marveled at the passion in hockey that’s lacking in other sports. The more meaningful the game(s), the more the teams tend to leave it all on the ice. In this case, not only is Riviere du Loup in the finals, but they're there for the second year in a row after coming up short in 2024. In a league where there are no big paychecks, and most players are there with no hope of going back up, players want to win- period. Spending an entire year thinking about what could have been in 2024 can only amplify a player's emotions. Add to that  the hometown factor where a high percentage of players live and work year-round in the town or region where they play and there’s a perfect storm of passionate emotions. 

Finally, there’s physicality. While we need to be sure not to equate physicality to penalty minutes or fights, we need to recognize that one can lead to the other. In the LNAH Playoffs, the physicality is there regardless of the penalties, majors and fights. It would not be a stretch to say that most teams have ramped up the physicality in the playoffs. There is no measure of this, but every game observed has included a high regularity of teeth and/or glass rattling hits. Seeing a player taken off his skates in the first period elicits a frenzied reaction from the crowd. When it happens again in the second period, it leads to some “festivities” between the players. When it continues and happens in the third, that’s when the boys are throwing haymakers. Physically, Riviere du Loup is a smaller than average team, but during this season’s playoffs, they’ve been checking far above their weight. Every 3L game has resembled a demolition derby of clean but brutal checks. This emotion-filled physicality has indeed translated to mid to late game fireworks, especially when dealing with high PIM teams. 

Adding it all up Riviere du Loup might be the perfect storm of dealing with difficult teams, playing with an intensified need to overcome last year's loss, and their opponents trying to deal with their new wrecking ball style physicality. There’s nothing scientific about this, but there are numbers and observations that draw this assessment. Whatever it is, the 3L are a far different team in the playoffs. It hasn’t hurt them as they’re now just 2 games away from a championship. Whether or not they get those wins, and how much the PIM/Major factor has to do with it is anyone’s guess, but it’ll be fun to watch.