Keegan Lowe, right, battles Kyle Schmidt on Dec 8, 2010. The Canadian Press Images/Larry MacDougal

Major Juniors in Action

There may be a lockout in the NHL but that doesn't mean there is no hockey.

The junior league season kicked off over the weekend with the WHL, OHL and QMJHL all in action.

Tyler Biggs, a first-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011, made an instant impact with the Oshawa Generals - getting his first fighting major 7:33 into the second period of his first OHL game.

Despite the OHL introducing suspensions for any players getting into 10 or more fights in a season, London Knights' Russian defenceman Nikita Zadorov wasted no time getting his first two out of the way tangling with Erie's Johnny McGuire and Guelph's Ryan Horvat.

In the WHL, Keegan Lowe, taken by Carolina Hurricanes in the third round in 2011, starting the season with a Gordie Howe hat-trick for Edmonton Oil Kings against Kootenay Ice, dropping the gloves with Jeff Hubic in the second.

Portland Winterhawks winger Joe Mahon leads the league with three majors after getting into a pair of fights with Mitch Elliot in the home-and-home series with Seattle Thunderbirds and also throwing down with Taylor Green.

The opening weekend of the QMJHL also saw some physical games, with Victor Provencher of the PEI Rocket, earning a TKO victory over Moncton Wildcat's Brett Malone.

That Moncton-PEI game also saw tempers boil over late the game with a semi line-brawl.

And Saint John and Bathurst also saw multiple fights as a questionable hit from Alexandre Gosselin saw numerous players get involved.

Fight-related rules changes

The mainstream media has been all over the rules changes for the OHL and WHL. For those not in the know:

• OHL cracks down on fights
• New restriction outlaws staged fights in WHL

Some interesting reactions from the WHL about the OHL:

• WHL players pleased league didn't introduce anti-fighting rules similar to OHL
• Blazers weigh in on OHL fighting laws

Videos mentioned

Tyler Biggs vs Clark Seymour Sep 20, 2012
Nikita Zadorov vs Ryan Horvat Sep 23, 2012
Jeff Hubic vs Keegan Lowe Sep 20, 2012
Brett Malone vs Victor Provencher Sep 21, 2012
Moncton vs PEI Sep 21, 2012