CBC News – A junior hockey coach who lashed out at a heckling fan by swinging at him with a hockey stick says he was protecting his players from an aggressive fan, but the coach of the opposing team says there was nothing to be afraid of.
The incident occurred during a Western States Hockey League game between Alberta’s Hinton Timberwolves and the home-team Meadow Lake Mustangs in Saskatchewan on Friday.
Videos taken at the game show Jeff Richards, the head coach of the Hinton Timberwolves, swinging a stick at a man standing behind the Hinton bench. Children can be seen watching the scuffle.
Richards said he started swinging after the fan allegedly grabbed another Timberwolves coach from above by the scruff of the neck. He said the man had also threatened Timberwolves players prior to the incident.
“It all just happened in a big blur …. we turn around, this giant-sized man is behind us, that had been yelling profanities at us and is now yelling at these players. He’s got a hold of my assistant coach by the scruff of his neck, picking him up,” said Richards. “I acted just on, you know, instinctively. I was protecting all these players and these people.”
