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
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.
A teen was found buried in a basement in New York. An engraved ring helped police learn her identity two decades later
For more than two decades, the unknown victim was nicknamed "Midtown Jane Doe" because she was found in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of New York City. But this week, investigators finally revealed her identity.