No charges against coaches in kids' hockey brawl

Thursday, November 29, 2007

No criminal charges will be laid against adult hockey coaches for allegedly assaulting each other during a brawl that also involved eight-year-old players in Guelph, Ontario.

Police said Thursday that they came to the decision not to lay charges after speaking to witnesses, investigating the case and reviewing a videotape of the fracas. The officers said the incident would be better handled by the teams' hockey association.

The fight happened during the third period of a game last Friday between the Duffield Devils and Niagara Falls Thunder, two novice AAA teams. The videotape, which aired on CBC Newsworld on Thursday, shows the young players throwing punches at each other. An altercation is also visible on the players' bench that appears to involve parents and coaches. There were allegations that a Niagara Falls coach spat on a rival coach and that both sent many of their players from the bench onto the ice during the fracas.

Coaching staff, trainers and two coaches were suspended indefinitely during the investigation, said Richard Ropchan, an official with the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.

In my opinion, the coaches shouldn't be charged just because they assaulted the young kids while they are having a fight. I understand the fact that while you are playing agressive sports, you will get agressive by thinking and acting. I think that the coaches were not meant to assault them.

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/11/29/hockey-fight.html