Police and Hockey P.E.I. investigating brawl at Charlottetown youth tournament

For the second 12 months in a row, an incident at a Charlottetown youth hockey match is drawing unfavourable consideration — and leaving annoyed Hockey P.E.I. officers questioning how they can change the tradition of the game.

A brawl broke out Saturday evening after an under-18 AA recreation between groups from P.E.I. and Nova Scotia on the annual Early Chook Match on the Bell Aliant Centre. CBC Information has seen video of the incident, which exhibits a number of gamers preventing as officers strive to interrupt them up and spectators yell from the stands. In response to Hockey P.E.I., some spectators went onto the ice because the melee continued.

Police responded and are investigating, Charlottetown’s police pressure stated Monday afternoon in a information launch that referred to “a grievance of a number of fights happening on the ice floor throughout a hockey recreation.”

The incident comes one 12 months after 5 gamers from one other P.E.I. U18 workforce have been investigated and finally suspended for hurling racial slurs at a Black goalie from Nova Scotia. In response, Hockey P.E.I. restructured its self-discipline and ethics committee’s mandate, and turned its consideration to educating gamers, coaches and fogeys.

Hockey P.E.I. govt director Connor Cameron stated it is “very unlucky” one other incident occurred on the similar match this 12 months.

“We have been hoping that among the laborious work that we have achieved within the final 12 months would possibly repay with a little bit bit higher conduct within the rink. Clearly that wasn’t the case on this scenario,” he stated.

That sort of factor, it has no place within the recreation…. It is clearly a really, very severe situation.— Connor Cameron

“That sort of factor, it has no place within the recreation…. It is clearly a really, very severe situation.”

And whereas the Saturday evening battle was probably the most severe incident, it wasn’t the one one of many match. Cameron stated there have been “4 or 5” incidents the place coaches have been ejected, affecting groups with gamers as younger as 10.

“I can not perceive how the NHL can go a full 12 months and a coach not get ejected, and our U18 and our U11 coaches cannot go per week with out somebody getting thrown out… For me, that is not hockey.”

‘Vile behaviour’ at all-time excessive: Hockey P.E.I.

Hockey P.E.I. is doing its personal inner investigation, however Cameron stated the bigger situation is addressing the tradition of violence within the sport. He stated abuse of gamers and officers, and general “vile behaviour,” are at an all-time excessive within the sport.

“You are feeling prefer it’s three steps ahead and two steps again,” he stated. “You are doing all this kind of good work after which, you realize, you get up at the moment, on a Monday morning, and there is 4 or 5 incidents that ought to simply by no means occur.”

He stated some individuals have blamed the COVID-19 pandemic and different societal stressors for the unhealthy behaviour.

It is virtually like plenty of our individuals… have forgotten, you realize, the better good of the sport of hockey— Connor Cameron

“To me these are excuses,” he stated.

“It is virtually like plenty of our individuals — and after I say our individuals I imply our coaches, our gamers and stuff like that — have forgotten, you realize, the better good of the sport of hockey.

“The teamwork, the working collectively to a purpose, the sacrificing your private desires and wishes for the better [good] of the workforce — issues like which have appeared to be misplaced right here.”