Brawl between player, fan erupts in the stands at Alta. junior game after mom pushed: coach
A junior hockey player in Stony Plain, Alta., has been suspended for eight games after he went into the stands to fight a fan, but his coach says he was defending his mom at the time.
The brawl happened Jan. 21 during a game between the Stony Plain Flyers and the Strathcona Bruins at Glenn Hall Arena west of Edmonton.
Video of the brawl, captured by spectators, shows the Flyers' Nichlas Johnson and a young man in the stands, yelling at each other while two women stand between them.
Johnson, 21, then charges into the stands toward the fan, before the two trade blows.
Other spectators rush to break up the battle, while the two women are shoved aside. In a second video angle, a referee and two linesmen watch from the ice
Johnson's coach, Craig Leibel, admits it's not a good look for his player, but he claims the video doesn't tell the whole story.
"People are seeing a 10-second clip and passing judgement immediately as to reflect on the player, our team, hockey in general. And I just don't think that's necessarily a correct assessment," Leibel said in an interview with CTV News Edmonton.
Leibel claims a group of unnamed spectators actually started the fight.
"We had a group of fans that came in, that I think were kind of, looking to start something. And they had been pretty rowdy in the stands," he explained.
"It escalated to the fan actually pushing (Johnson's) mom…obviously you can imagine what it would be like if you saw your mom being pushed in the stands…he provoked him and off (Johnson) went."
The video is shaky and obstructed, but does not clearly show a woman being shoved by the fan.
'WE ARE VERY DISSAPOINTED'
An RCMP spokesperson said an officer was patrolling the area, but didn't respond to the fight inside the arena.
Johnson, who leads his team in penalty minutes and is among the league leaders with 105 minutes in the box, was suspended five games for going into the stands and three games for "intent to injure."
"The CJHL has suspended the player as per the suspension guidelines of the league. We are very disappointed in the actions of the player involved but will have no further comment," said Larry Lepine, president of the Capital Junior Hockey League.
Leibel said he respects that decision, adding that Johnson will serve his suspension without fighting it, but he wonders why the fan that was involved appears to be facing no consequences.
"Absolutely (Johnson) is going to suffer his consequences for his actions. But what about the fan? What about the person who was provoking the whole thing in the beginning and pushed the mom in the stands? He can walk away."
Through Leibel, CTV News Edmonton asked Johnson for comment but he did not respond.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Maple Leafs eliminated from NHL playoffs with Game 7 OT loss to Bruins
Sheldon Keefe told his players hockey history would remember them one way or another.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
What a judge's gag order on Trump means in his hush money case
A gag order bars Trump from commenting publicly on witnesses, jurors and some others connected to the matter. The New York judge already has found that Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, repeatedly violated the order, fined him US$9,000 and warning that jail could follow if he doesn't comply.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Pro-Palestinian protesters at USC comply with school order to leave their encampment
Protesters left a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California early Sunday after they were surrounded by police and told they could face arrest if they didn’t go.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc says
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
Bombarded with spam texts? Stats show the problem is getting worse in Canada
In particular, messages that involve phishing — an attack where a scammer tries to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or sharing sensitive information — are on the rise.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.