8 Year old hockey brawl...

[Jordan 13]

November 26, 2007

SCOTT TRACEY

MERCURY STAFF

GUELPH

Six hockey players and two coaches were suspended following a brawl between two teams of eight-year-olds in Guelph Friday.

Three players each from the Duffield Devils and Niagara Falls Thunder Novice AAA teams, and their respective coaches, were ejected from the Guelph Power Play Tournament after a brawl during a game at Exhibition Arena.

Guelph Police are reviewing videotape of the incident and "criminal charges may be laid," Staff sergeant Neal Young said.

Young said police were called to the arena shortly before 6 p.m. Friday.

A small fight had broken out between players on the ice, he said, and both coaches sent more players from the bench to join in the fracas.

Young said a member of the Niagara Falls coaching staff approached the Duffield bench and allegedly spit in the face of a Duffield coach.

Police seized video footage from parents who were recording the game and will review it.

"These are eight-year-olds," Young said. "How ridiculous is that?"

Power Play tournament chair Jeff Hiller was hesitant to discuss the incident.

"We're not commenting on it at this time," he said Saturday.

"There is an ongoing investigation."

Hiller said while several players and their coaches were suspended, organizers did not feel it was appropriate to eject the teams from the tournament.

The rest of the Duffield team continued in the tournament, with team president Frank Carbone stepping in as coach. The Niagara Falls team voluntarily withdrew from the tournament and went home early, Hiller said.

"The tournament is for the players," he said. "It's not for the parents and it's not for the coaches . . . and that is why the two teams were allowed to remain in the tournament.

"There were players who were not involved in this incident."

Guelph Minor Hockey president Tom Hopgood also had little to say about the incident.

"Let's let the dust settle first," he said Saturday at the tournament office inside the West End Community Centre. "We're not commenting at this point."

Rob DeGiuli, a vice-president of Niagara Falls Minor Hockey, said he was not in Guelph Friday and could not comment on what happened at the game. Nobody else from Niagara Falls returned calls on the weekend.

Brian Tavares, general manager of the Duffield club, which plays in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, conceded Devils coaches were involved in the incident, but alleged it was sparked by "very aggressive" behaviour by one of the Thunder coaching staff.

"Our coaches got sucked into it, but I think they were defending themselves," Tavares, who was not at the tournament, said by telephone.

"It's kind of sad," Tavares added. "It's not a good example."

stracey@guelphmercury.com

[hellkitty 0]

Thats a bit intense and a bit retarded. They are 8 not 18 they can fight then.

See ya,

Heather

[RadioGaGa 162]

As someone pointed out here....8 year olds aren't jumping over the boards to get into a brawl....all the coaches had to do was CLOSE THE DOORS...and thing is a non issue.

It's all on the coaches. They should both be suspended for life from coaching.

[twister18 1]

"A small fight had broken out between players on the ice, he said, and both coaches sent more players from the bench to join in the fracas."

As a coach myself, I find it dispicable that an "adult" would send out EIGHT YEAR OLDS to fight....somebody should go to jail for that, they've been watching a bit too much "Slapshot". There's a time and a plce for everything, but if my kid's coach sent him out from the bench, there would be hell to pay.

edit- and that comes from a former enforcer, too - I realize how silly that above statement looked with my avatar right next to it....

[ktang 34]

"Organized child abuse" is one term that sums up some of the "coaching", in all sports. I think there are too many 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances for these problem coaches in youth sports.

[chk hrd 164]

eight year old novice AAA teams, I thought they didn't have AAA until pee-wees...just another way to make hyper competative sports for kids that are to young to handle it. How did the refs let it get so out of hand, they are 8 years old, and what adult in thier right mind sends an 8 year old out to fight. Organized child abuse sounds about right. I can only imagine what the practices are like. And what about the parents??? If I saw the coach sending an 8 year old bench out for a brawl I would have gone out and pulled my kid off myself (and then probably grabbed the coach by the throat).

And because it is "that brutal sport of hockey that is nothing but fighting" the media will pick up on it and really make us look good. Thanks, the sport really needs this publicity. Ban the coaches for life.

[chippa13 1844]

Without knowing the whole story, I'd say it is difficult to lay the blame at the referees' feet.

[slaw 1]

I hope I don't ruffle any feathers with this comment but over the years Guelph has managed to get a bit of a reputation in the surrounding areas for lackluster performances by the men in stripes. Quite honestly, I'm not exactly surprised.

[Leafsrok 0]

well this is pretty ridiculous, what kind of 8 year old gets in a fight in hockey??

and how bad of a person do you have to be to incourage 8 year olds let alone sending them off the bench to get involved?

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

you shouldnt be allowed to fight until you're 16. thats my take. its ridiculous that this was allowed to happen, and even fueled by the coaches.

[Jordan 13]

eight year old novice AAA teams, I thought they didn't have AAA until pee-wees.

The Niagara Falls team plays in the OMHA and triple A starts at novice (8 years old). The other team, the Duffield Devils is a select team that plays in a league called the North York Hockey League. Teams in this league feed into the GTHL at 9 years old for triple A.

The story is that apparently the Duffield team was up 8-1, and some of their kids were chirping at the Niagra team. Some of the Niagara kids reacted. With proper refereeing it should have ended right there. However, the game ended at the same time and as the kids were leaving the bench, the fight erupted. Allegedly one of the Niagra coaches approached the Duffield bench and spat at one of the coaches, and then they got into it.

Nasty stuff.

[bdj 0]

you shouldnt be allowed to fight until you're 16. thats my take. its ridiculous that this was allowed to happen, and even fueled by the coaches.

You shouldn't be able to fight until your legally an adult, that way you will have to pay any serious consequences AS an adult.

[chk hrd 164]

eight year old novice AAA teams, I thought they didn't have AAA until pee-wees.

The Niagara Falls team plays in the OMHA and triple A starts at novice (8 years old). The other team, the Duffield Devils is a select team that plays in a league called the North York Hockey League. Teams in this league feed into the GTHL at 9 years old for triple A.

Technically in USA Hockey there is not A-AA or AAA level. They recognize Tier 1 (some people will call it AAA) or Tier 2 (AA). Thier Tier hockey starts at the Pee-Wee level. An 8 year old would be a mite or squirt, so there is no way they are a Tier team. Like the guy I spoke to at USA Hockey said, Anyone can buy a warm up suit and put AAA on it, but that doesn't mean anything.

[Jim A 4]

the solution to this is to just now ban the coaches for a few years.....its ridiculous...sad to see that is hasn't changed so much over the years..

I can't even remember "AAA" teams in the NY area some of the teams that were listed as AA created a slogan "AA is for father's" because they were no better than any of the other teams...

[wickedwrister 0]

eight year old novice AAA teams, I thought they didn't have AAA until pee-wees.

The Niagara Falls team plays in the OMHA and triple A starts at novice (8 years old). The other team, the Duffield Devils is a select team that plays in a league called the North York Hockey League. Teams in this league feed into the GTHL at 9 years old for triple A.

Technically in USA Hockey there is not A-AA or AAA level. They recognize Tier 1 (some people will call it AAA) or Tier 2 (AA). Thier Tier hockey starts at the Pee-Wee level. An 8 year old would be a mite or squirt, so there is no way they are a Tier team. Like the guy I spoke to at USA Hockey said, Anyone can buy a warm up suit and put AAA on it, but that doesn't mean anything.

Squirt Major (second year Squirt in AAA) is the first "recognized" year. These things happen more often than you think. My son played a AA team that joined a AAA tornament thinking they could hang. After 3 periods of getting humiliated, their coaches turned them loose (off the benches too). Very ugly indeed.

[Jordan 13]

Technically in USA Hockey there is not A-AA or AAA level. They recognize Tier 1 (some people will call it AAA) or Tier 2 (AA). Thier Tier hockey starts at the Pee-Wee level. An 8 year old would be a mite or squirt, so there is no way they are a Tier team. Like the guy I spoke to at USA Hockey said, Anyone can buy a warm up suit and put AAA on it, but that doesn't mean anything.

It is triple A hockey...the teams are Canadian and are recognized by Hockey Canada as I described in an earlier post.

[Zamboni 6]

Jordan summed it up pretty well-the Duffield coaches may not be at fault though. They are claiming the Niagra coach struck an 8 year old Duffield player swinging wildly at the coach...at that point they released their team for kids safety.....get them away from Niagra coach. Police have a few videos of the fracas-only charges against Niagra coach so far.

I have no idea if Duffield claim is true-corridor to dressing room was suposedly blocked by angry Niagra parents also.

[Jordan 13]

I heard a lot pf stuff from the Duffield side last night..my son's team played the Duffield team that is one year younger - a few of the parents have another kid on the team involved.

[chk hrd 164]

Technically in USA Hockey there is not A-AA or AAA level. They recognize Tier 1 (some people will call it AAA) or Tier 2 (AA). Thier Tier hockey starts at the Pee-Wee level. An 8 year old would be a mite or squirt, so there is no way they are a Tier team. Like the guy I spoke to at USA Hockey said, Anyone can buy a warm up suit and put AAA on it, but that doesn't mean anything.

It is triple A hockey...the teams are Canadian and are recognized by Hockey Canada as I described in an earlier post.

Sorry, overlooked that they were Canadian teams. In USA Hockey they don't have Tier 1 or 2 below Pee-Wee. Regardless if the teams claim AAA or AA they are not recognized by USA Hockey as that level...Call USA Hockey and talk to the director of youth hockey, I did.

[wickedwrister 0]

Have not called the Director of USA Hockey, but obviously Squirt Major (97's this year) is recognized here. http://midwestyouthhockey.com/index.php

[Jordan 13]

Call USA Hockey and talk to the director of youth hockey, I did.

Why ? USA Hockey has nothing to do with Canadian Hockey, the tiering of rep hockey in Canada or the teams involved,; even the tournament was in Canada...I am sure that you are correct, I am just not sure why it matters what Hockey USA thinks about them ?

[-brady2 0]

wow, ridiculous.

[chk hrd 164]

Call USA Hockey and talk to the director of youth hockey, I did.

Why ? USA Hockey has nothing to do with Canadian Hockey, the tiering of rep hockey in Canada or the teams involved,; even the tournament was in Canada...I am sure that you are correct, I am just not sure why it matters what Hockey USA thinks about them ?

try reading my last post...the one where I said "Sorry, overlooked that they were Canadian teams."

[Jordan 13]

Fair enough. :D

[Zamboni 6]

A video of the incident is on The Score(Canadian sports channel)....appalling behaviour from everyone involved. What's worse are rumours this tape was editted and police have video showing even worse behaviour from Niagra Falls coaches and fans.