RCMP say they are investigating a reported assault that took place at a U15 minor hockey game that sent one player to hospital.
According to Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association president Al McCulloch, the incident was between two players, 13 and 14-years-old, on March 15 on Comox Valley and Nanaimo minor hockey teams.
McCulloch says the injured player was taken to hospital and is now out of hospital recovering in concussion protocol. He adds the other player is suspended indefinitely until the outcome of the investigation, which is also being done with BC Hockey.
McCulloch says the organization does not condone this type of behaviour in hockey, adding it does not belong in the game.
He adds they work to teach kids to play nice from the start, and situations like these are an anomaly.
“We try to work with them from a young age to explain proper rules, proper etiquette on and off the ice, proper behaviour,” said McCulloch.
“We don’t really condone stick work in general, if it’s a penalty it’s a penalty, but excessive, deliberate attempts to injure are the things we’re trying to remove from the game.”
McCulloch adds the subject of what is acceptable and what is not is brought up every year, but they need to teach kids at a younger age that things like this are not acceptable.
“It’s a continuous learning curve, much like ABCs in school, it’s a continuous lesson in life,” added McCulloch.
“Hopefully we get past it and our players do learn from it. Hopefully, the player is remorseful, and he’s learned from it eventually when he moves on and uses it as a lesson in life that there are repercussions to actions.”
He adds that he wishes the injured player a quick recovery.
