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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.