GoDogsGo
11-27-2007, 08:28 AM
This happened this weekend... whats your opinion... I think that all involved should get a at least a 2 year ban from hockey.... there is no room for this in minor hockey... if in fact the coaches allowed other players to leave the bench to join in, then the coaches should never coach again... what kinda of rolemodleing is this.... unreal how dumb some people are...
THE CANADIAN PRESS
GUELPH, Ont. -- The Ontario Minor Hockey Association is investigating an on-ice brawl involving teams of eight-year-olds during which one coach spat at another.
A parent's video footage capturing the incident during the Guelph Power Play Tournament game last Friday between the Duffield Devils and Niagara Falls Thunder Novice AAA teams is now in the hands of police in this southern Ontario city.
"It doesn't show which team left the bench first but it does show a physical altercation between the two coaches," Sgt. Cate Welsh, a Guelph police spokeswoman, said Monday.
Police said a small fight had broken out between players on the ice and both coaches sent in more players from the bench to join in.
Welsh said the footage catches a Duffield coach slip and fall as he leaves the bench, followed by one of the kids who also fell. The images then show physical pushing and shoving between the two coaches, she said.
Police said the video also shows the Niagara Falls coach approach the Duffield bench and spit in the face of the Duffield coach.
Welsh said the police service is seeking further information from the Duffield coach before resolving its probe.
Hockey association executive director Richard Ropchan said he has yet to review the game report.
Ropchan said there could be more suspensions in addition to the ones handed out by Friday's referee.
"The punishment will fit the crime and the OMHA has the ability to issue a lengthy suspension," he said.
Both head coaches and their respective staffs were suspended for three games following the brawl, which is in line with the minor hockey association's regulations, said Guelph Minor Hockey Association president Tom Hopgood.
"There is an ongoing police investigation so we can't comment on the incident," he wrote in an e-mail.
The two head coaches were also suspended for an additional game for exceeding the allowable number of penalty minutes, he wrote, adding that one of the coaches received an additional three-game suspension.
Six players, three from each team, were given various suspensions ranging in length from one to four games.
Lisa Campaigne, a parent of a Niagara Falls player, said she was disgusted by the episode.
Seated in the arena, she said she saw Duffield players push a Niagara Falls player.
"It was as if two players from the opposing team were playing pinball with one of our players," she said.
Moments later, Campaigne said, the Duffield team cleared the bench and came after a Niagara Falls player and that's when her kids' team jumped in to assist.
"Do you stand by as a bystander or do you help him out?" she asked.
.Campaigne said her son milled around on the ice unsure of what to do during the incident. Following the brawl, she said, she only saw the Niagara Falls coach in front of the Duffield bench gesturing to the other coach to get the Duffield kids off the ice.
.Rene Bouvier of Niagara Falls said Monday that his eight-year-old son lives for hockey.
"The poor kid is so upset. He hasn't taken a penalty all year and now this?" said Bouvier.
.Niagara Falls minor hockey team coaches were to meet Monday night to discuss the incident, said Niagara Falls Minor Hockey Association president Butch Sacko.
Whether there will be any ramifications for the coaches within the association itself will be determined once he gets the game sheet, outlining the infractions the referee has called, Sacko said.
.Bouvier said the Niagara team has its own videotape of the incident which, he told the Niagara Falls Review, will exonerate the young players.
"There are accusations being made that we emptied our bench first. We have a videotape that clearly shows that's untrue," he said.
.Frank Carbone, the Duffield Devils team president, said he's confident through speaking with organizers and police that his coaching staff was not involved with initiating the incident. He was in Guelph on Saturday to step in as coach since Duffield continued in the tournament. The Niagara Falls team voluntarily withdrew.
"If I felt my coaching staff was clearly involved, there would be disciplinary action," he said. "We don't tolerate any of this in youth hockey."
Brian Tavares, general manager of the Duffield team, said Monday he wasn't at the incident but finds when teams get to this level of hockey, the competition is heavy.
"When you get into these highly competitive games, teams start taking cheap shots."
(Guelph Mercury)
THE CANADIAN PRESS
GUELPH, Ont. -- The Ontario Minor Hockey Association is investigating an on-ice brawl involving teams of eight-year-olds during which one coach spat at another.
A parent's video footage capturing the incident during the Guelph Power Play Tournament game last Friday between the Duffield Devils and Niagara Falls Thunder Novice AAA teams is now in the hands of police in this southern Ontario city.
"It doesn't show which team left the bench first but it does show a physical altercation between the two coaches," Sgt. Cate Welsh, a Guelph police spokeswoman, said Monday.
Police said a small fight had broken out between players on the ice and both coaches sent in more players from the bench to join in.
Welsh said the footage catches a Duffield coach slip and fall as he leaves the bench, followed by one of the kids who also fell. The images then show physical pushing and shoving between the two coaches, she said.
Police said the video also shows the Niagara Falls coach approach the Duffield bench and spit in the face of the Duffield coach.
Welsh said the police service is seeking further information from the Duffield coach before resolving its probe.
Hockey association executive director Richard Ropchan said he has yet to review the game report.
Ropchan said there could be more suspensions in addition to the ones handed out by Friday's referee.
"The punishment will fit the crime and the OMHA has the ability to issue a lengthy suspension," he said.
Both head coaches and their respective staffs were suspended for three games following the brawl, which is in line with the minor hockey association's regulations, said Guelph Minor Hockey Association president Tom Hopgood.
"There is an ongoing police investigation so we can't comment on the incident," he wrote in an e-mail.
The two head coaches were also suspended for an additional game for exceeding the allowable number of penalty minutes, he wrote, adding that one of the coaches received an additional three-game suspension.
Six players, three from each team, were given various suspensions ranging in length from one to four games.
Lisa Campaigne, a parent of a Niagara Falls player, said she was disgusted by the episode.
Seated in the arena, she said she saw Duffield players push a Niagara Falls player.
"It was as if two players from the opposing team were playing pinball with one of our players," she said.
Moments later, Campaigne said, the Duffield team cleared the bench and came after a Niagara Falls player and that's when her kids' team jumped in to assist.
"Do you stand by as a bystander or do you help him out?" she asked.
.Campaigne said her son milled around on the ice unsure of what to do during the incident. Following the brawl, she said, she only saw the Niagara Falls coach in front of the Duffield bench gesturing to the other coach to get the Duffield kids off the ice.
.Rene Bouvier of Niagara Falls said Monday that his eight-year-old son lives for hockey.
"The poor kid is so upset. He hasn't taken a penalty all year and now this?" said Bouvier.
.Niagara Falls minor hockey team coaches were to meet Monday night to discuss the incident, said Niagara Falls Minor Hockey Association president Butch Sacko.
Whether there will be any ramifications for the coaches within the association itself will be determined once he gets the game sheet, outlining the infractions the referee has called, Sacko said.
.Bouvier said the Niagara team has its own videotape of the incident which, he told the Niagara Falls Review, will exonerate the young players.
"There are accusations being made that we emptied our bench first. We have a videotape that clearly shows that's untrue," he said.
.Frank Carbone, the Duffield Devils team president, said he's confident through speaking with organizers and police that his coaching staff was not involved with initiating the incident. He was in Guelph on Saturday to step in as coach since Duffield continued in the tournament. The Niagara Falls team voluntarily withdrew.
"If I felt my coaching staff was clearly involved, there would be disciplinary action," he said. "We don't tolerate any of this in youth hockey."
Brian Tavares, general manager of the Duffield team, said Monday he wasn't at the incident but finds when teams get to this level of hockey, the competition is heavy.
"When you get into these highly competitive games, teams start taking cheap shots."
(Guelph Mercury)