Parents and coach brawl at kids' hockey tourney in Hamilton, prompting refs to halt game

A hockey game involving players seven and eight years old came to a halt at a Hamilton arena after parents and at least one coach became involved in a wild brawl behind the boards.

The game between the Toronto Stars Black and the Northern Saints Gold of the Klevr Super League (KSL) on Sunday was part of a season-opening tournament at Gateway Ice Centre. 

A one-minute video from the arena shows two people yelling behind the net and boards at one end of the rink, then moving toward each other and fighting. Punches were thrown and others got involved while the youngsters continued to play, unaware of the fighting until the referee stopped the game. The players, who were sent to their benches, watched as the people in the fight were separated. 

The KSL refused an on-camera interview, but in a statement to CBC, co-founder Jamie Stone said "the KSL intends to take appropriate action, and has taken interim steps including suspensions." 

Kris Versteeg, a former NHL player whose 11 seasons included one with the Toronto Maple Leafs, is a co-founder of the KSL, which isn't sanctioned by Hockey Canada.

The KSL, in a post on Instagram, said "we will not let the actions of a few overshadow the fun and spirit of KSL events. We have consistently communicated and enforced our expectations regarding parent and coach conduct and will continue to rigorously uphold these standards. Behavior that violates our code of conduct will result in discipline, including permanently losing participation privileges in the KSL. There is no place in the KSL for violent or aggressive behavior by anyone."

In an email to CBC, the Toronto Stars Hockey Club said it's "aware of the situation and takes such matters seriously. We are further aware that the KSL is still in the process of investigating and actioning the situation, and we will not be providing additional comments at this time."

Eric Samson-Doel, a parent and coach in Toronto, has a son who plays in the KSL, but he wasn't playing for either team that was on the ice when the fighting broke out.

Samson-Doel said a priority is to "make sure the kids aren't impacted" by what happened off the ice.

"They'll [the league] do what they have to do with anyone who is aggressive. Whoever started the fights, I think they have no place to be there."

Samson-Doel said the KSL "is remarkable in terms of how they run it, how it's set up, the vetting for my own team, the coaches ...  the values it tries to instil in the kids."

GTHL has policy to protect referees

Scott Oakman, executive director of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), said "any time behaviour like that happens in front of young people, it's just simply not acceptable — whether it's our league or anywhere else."

We pay an awful lot of money to have our kids involved in sports ... sometimes parents feel completely entitled ... so we've got a lot of parents, these days, that are overstepping.- Kimberley Dawson, Wilfrid Laurier University sports psychology professor

In January, the GTHL announced a new Green Armband Policy to support first-year on-ice officials, and prevent them from facing "additional pressure, negative behaviour, intimidation or other acts of maltreatment."

Incidents like the one Sunday are isolated in organized youth sports, but at least one expert says they're a product of an increasingly competitive culture.

Kimberley Dawson, a sports psychology professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, said "we pay an awful lot of money to have our kids involved in sports ... sometimes parents feel completely entitled ... so we've got a lot of parents, these days, that are overstepping."

She said "when someone's fighting in the stands and if it happens to be your parents, you're extremely embarrassed about that and you can't focus on what you need to do."