Police investigating slashing at Vancouver Island minor hockey game
Mounties on Vancouver Island are investigating an extreme slashing incident that sent a young hockey player to hospital on Friday.
It happened during a U15 game in Courtenay, when a Comox Valley player swung his stick like an axe, striking a Nanaimo boy multiple times.
A person who shared video of the game with CTV News said the 14-year-old player, who was struck on his shoulder blade and the back of his collarbone, was sent to hospital with a concussion.
“It’s not what we want in the game,” said Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association (VIAHA) president Al McCulloch.
“We’ve got to not glorify the violent part of the sport; we’ve got to glorify the skill part of the sport.”
While the Comox Valley RCMP confirmed it’s investigating, it did not provide any details.
VIAHA has begun a disciplinary investigation, reviewing game footage and interviewing spectators, McCulloch said.
“We’re dealing with people with brains that are still developing,” he said. “You’ve got to find that they are remorseful in some aspects and hopefully they don’t do it again.”
In November, another young player was hospitalized and three others were suspended for piling onto him at a game in Courtenay. At the time, McCulloch highlighted the need to teach kids to play nice as soon as they start playing hockey — a message he repeated on Monday.
“We do (start) it from a young age, but… it’s got to be a repeated message on a daily basis,” he said.
“All I can say to parents and players is behaviour is important whether you’re on or off the ice. And I wouldn’t hit you with a stick across the head on the street, so I don’t want you to do it in the arena.”
There are also calls to hire more experienced referees, who can de-escalate players when a game starts getting ugly.
McCulloch said incidents like this are outliers and detract from a game he said can teach kids essential life skills.
“It teaches you how to play nice in the sandbox when you become an adult,” he said.
The Comox Valley Minor Hockey Association, which hosted the tournament where the slashing incident happened, declined to comment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.