Edmonton hockey handshake brawl a ‘travesty to the game’: Officials | 24CA News
An thrilling minor hockey playoff recreation Sunday ended on a bitter observe on the Terwillegar Recreation Centre in southwest Edmonton, leading to a number of suspensions and condemnations.
It occurred after a U18 Tier 1 playoff recreation between the South East Edmonton Recreation Association — staff SE701 — and Stony Plain Minor Hockey Predators — staff SN701.
The recreation went to an additional time shootout, ending in a 4-3 victory for Stony Plain.
“The game was very competitive. It was a great game. And they ended up in an overtime victory for one of the teams,” stated Edmonton Federation Hockey League (EFHL) president John Putters.
“Overall, the game was great — right up till the end.”
Following the large win, the groups started the standard giving of handshakes — till a participant raised his fist and hit one other teenager.
After the primary punch was thrown, extra gamers from each groups of 15, 16 and 17-year-old boys bought concerned and a brawl broke out.
There was a pile up close to the boards. Referees and a coach might be seen attempting to interrupt up the combat.
The brawl was recorded on video that was then posted on-line.
The EFHL is made up of 33 minor hockey associations throughout the Edmonton area, below the course of Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada.
The league stated a number of gamers determined to behave in a “completely unsportsmanlike manner” resulting in the video shared and seen on social media.
“At the end of every game, you shake your opponent’s hand — win or lose,” Putters stated.
“To have that incident happen in a handshake was extremely disappointing. And the fact that it ended up on social media was even more disappointing.”
Putters stated he wished the incident had been handled regionally, not posted on-line for 1000’s to see.
“It gives the league and hockey a really bad reputation and people use that to justify their belief that hockey is a violent sport and it really isn’t,” he stated.
“It’s about competitiveness and sportsmanship and respect and all the things that we try to teach kids when they come into the hockey program.”
The EFHL issued an announcement Tuesday, saying it was made conscious of the problems with the playoff recreation early Monday morning and opened an instantaneous investigation into the actions of the gamers of each groups.
The group stated the behaviour wouldn’t be tolerated within the league. It additionally acknowledged it labored with Hockey Alberta to overview the sport and guarantee all gamers who participated within the state of affairs have been sanctioned appropriately.
The EFHL stated three match penalties, 9 combating majors, one instigator and 15 recreation misconduct penalties have been handed out to gamers of each groups.
EFHL stated eight gamers have been suspended, some indefinitely. Both head coaches of the groups have been additionally suspended because of a number of combating majors and match penalties submit recreation.
Putters stated it means the season is finished for a few of these younger boys.
“Some of them are graduating out of our league because it’s U18. In my opinion, that’s not a really good way to end your minor hockey career.
“These kids have been playing minor hockey for many years together and, you know, it’s kind of ending it on a sour note in my mind.”
Putters stated whatever the stage of play, the game is an emotional one and other people get wrapped up in it.
“I really do try to remind people: one of the biggest challenges in playing this game, because it’s a physical game, is keeping track of your emotions. And the fact that they couldn’t do that is, you know, unfortunate.”
Alexis Peters, a registered nurse and sociology professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, has been learning hockey tradition for greater than twenty years.
She stated the sport places strain on younger males to behave in an aggressive method that may carry over into different elements of life.
“I’m probably one of the very few people that says that is not a hockey player out there — that is a young man.
“It’s somebody’s son, it’s somebody’s brother, it’s somebody’s boyfriend. And if this is how they’re behaving and rewarded at this age, how on earth are they going to be healthy adults?”
She stated many younger hockey gamers are advised to be robust, suck it up, play via the ache and do no matter it takes to remain on the staff.
“These young men have been reward from coaches, parents and don’t get me started on the fans — every time they engage in this type of behaviour, watch the fans,” she stated of the cheering and pleasure that fights stir from the group.
“They are rewarded for engaging in all types of violent behaviour.”
Peters stated her analysis has proven junior hockey gamers could also be at the next threat of perpetrating acts of violence, together with sexual assault, than their nonathlete counterparts.
“Given the attitudes they had learned through hockey compared to a control group, they were possibly at higher risk for engaging in all forms of violence,” she stated.
Putters stated a brawl can occur in any sport.
“I think because hockey is such a big sport in our society, there’s more emphasis on the violence that is perceived that is affecting hockey,” he stated.
“I think if you asked, you know, there’s thousands of registrants in minor hockey — the vast, vast majority would say it was a wonderful experience.”
Putters stated the sport has advanced over the many years: gone are the Slap Shot days when violent play was what stuffed the stands. Instead, within the trendy period of gamers like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, what’s rewarded is expertise, athleticism and finesse.
“I mean, you watch the (Edmonton) Oilers, that’s what’s entertaining about it, is the speed and pace of the game.”
While the rationale for the brawl in Edmonton on Sunday is only one incident and doesn’t mirror the expertise the overwhelming majority of gamers have, Peters stated the combat speaks to a bigger problem.
“They still they need to make some serious changes at the cultural level,” she stated.
“Given the climate right now of what’s going on with Hockey Canada, I think the league had no other choice. They had to send a hard message.”
Hockey Canada, the nationwide governing physique for hockey on this nation, has been mired in scandal over its dealing with of sexual assault allegations.
The group revealed it maintained a reserve fund, fueled by membership charges, that was utilized in half to settle sexual misconduct circumstances.
Peters stated the subculture and values in hockey is much like that of regulation enforcement, army and fraternities.
“A lot of those values or attributes that those men learn — to be strong, to be independent — those in and of themselves are not bad qualities. It’s only when it’s taken to the extreme does it become a toxic thing on their health,” she stated.
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Putters additionally pressured controlling your feelings is without doubt one of the hardest elements of the sport, be it as a coach or a participant.
“I get that it’s an emotional game, no question about that. But that’s part of the learning experience and playing hockey,” he stated.
“I’ve coached for 25 years. I tell every new coach: the biggest issue you’re ever going to have to deal with is your own emotions. Because if you can’t control them on the bench and control your players — because of course, the players feed off the coach — you probably shouldn’t be a coach.”
The league stated it has seen extra self-discipline points this season and Putters hopes this can be a lesson for everybody to place the sport and sportsmanship into perspective.
Putters stated he reminds folks — the sport is for the children.
“It’s to find out about respect for coaches, officers, referees and have enjoyable.
“We shouldn’t have issues where people are fighting on the ice.”
Leaders within the hockey neighborhood stated they’re dismayed by the violence and hope this can be a wake-up a name.
“This was a travesty to the game of hockey,” stated Trevor Elliott, the president of South East Edmonton Recreation Association (SEERA).
Elliott stated the group doesn’t condone the the kind of disturbing habits displayed by a few of its gamers.
“This behavior does not reflect the safe and welcoming environment that SEERA Hockey and all other surrounding associations strive to provide players and parents.
“There is no place for this in hockey.”
In his assertion issued Wednesday evening, Elliott thanked the on-ice officers and facility workers on the rec centre for his or her work to de-escalating the occasion.
“This was an unforgiving and embarrassing display of poor sportsmanship by players of our hockey organization, and for that we apologize, and will strive to make sure events such as this never happen again.”
The Edmonton Police Service stated the state of affairs wasn’t reported and officers should not investigating.
