[clearlyentranced]

Doesn't make me very hometown proud but...


With players reaching blurred speeds and body contact both accepted and condoned, hockey is inherently a physical sport. But it wasn’t the actions of the players that crossed the line between rough play and unacceptable violence during a Jr. A game on Sunday.

Two spectators, a woman and her teenaged daughter, ended up in cuffs after allegedly attacking a player and another parent.

Jennifer Labelle, 47, of Ajax, Ont., has been charged with two counts of assault and assault with a weapon while her daughter, Belinda Labelle, 18, has been tagged with charges of assault with a weapon and uttering threats.

The alleged incidents took place during a game between the home ice Ajax Redmen and the Thornhill Thunderbirds of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.

Jennifer Labelle became infuriated when a Thornhill player hurt her son with a hit from behind. The Thunderbirds player was ejected from the contest and police contend the woman and her daughter threw a metal bar and coffee at the 19-year-old as he headed for the showers.

When the player finally made it to the dressing room, one of the mothers from his team came down to check on him. That’s when authorities say Jennifer Labelle attacked the woman, ripped her clothes and hurting her arm.

The duo are due in court Jan. 13.

[o78]

This is just disturbing. Some hockey parents need severe anger management classes! I hope their kids don't see this as "acceptable" adult behavior. What are these kids going to be like when they grow up?? <shudder> Very scarey.

[j-monster]

cratch:

Yikes... I've heard of hockey fathers getting into it at games, but hockey mothers and sisters? Good grief...

[MikeS]

Been following this story pretty closely...there are a couple of facts that were conveniently left out of the story (I believe it's from pulse24.com if I'm not mistaken?) above...

First, the player who hit the coach's/mother's/sister's kid from behind used to play on the same team and the two players had a history...the OHA is currently investigating to see whether this "past" played a role in the incident...

Second, the player who was hit lay unconsious on the ice for almost five minutes and had no feeling in his extremities when he finally came to and was stretchered off the ice...I can't imagine how tough that must have been for a parent/sibling to watch...

While these two facts don't in any way justify the subsequent actions of the two women, I just thought it was important to put everything into context before everyone starts passing judgement on these women and the game itself...

As an aside, I think it's a interesting that a person throwing a coffee receives more press than a (possibly premeditated?) on-ice assault that nearly leaves an 18 year-old kid paralyzed...the latter of which is apparently "acceptable" and doesn't "cross the line" according to the quoted article:

But it wasn’t the actions of the players that crossed the line between rough play and unacceptable violence during a Jr. A game on Sunday.

M.

[Littleproud]

Personally, there is no excuse for throwing things (especially metal bars, hot coffee) and I hope that the fullest extent of the law is administered.
I played AAA hockey out of Oshawa for years. Parents need to get a grip. Seriously. This kind of thing happened quite often.
If you don't want your son/daughter getting hurt, put them in non-contact hockey.
I sympathize with some of your veiws, MikeS. However, I have seen this kind of action for years (I also worked for 4 years at a hockey rink in Port Hope, refereed for 3 years) and something needs to be done to stop it.
On another note, these women have had altercations before at games. They are part of the team's faculty as well.

[hotmetal401]

It's amazing how that didn't come out in the first story.

As a referee I can say the right call was made. That's a positive to this whole thing. Probably grounds for suspension too.

Hits from behind are down dramatically and are called 90% of the time. Hockey Canada has done a good job with that rule emphasis. However, despite all its ad campaigns, it can't seem to get at those 10-15% of parents who ruin it for everyone else.

Cheers

Pat

[MikeS]

Personally, there is no excuse for throwing things (especially metal bars, hot coffee) and I hope that the fullest extent of the law is administered.

It will no doubt, and despite their affiliation with the club, I'd be shocked if either of these two ever see the inside of an OHA arena again after this.

I sympathize with some of your veiws, MikeS. However, I have seen this kind of action for years (I also worked for 4 years at a hockey rink in Port Hope, refereed for 3 years) and something needs to be done to stop it.

I agree 100%...the million dollar question is what? And by who?

On another note, these women have had altercations before at games. They are part of the team's faculty as well.

I know...and the team is 1-25-1-2 thusfar this season with these folks in charge...small wonder...:roll: ...

M.

[j-monster]

As an aside, I think it's a interesting that a person throwing a coffee receives more press than a (possibly premeditated?) on-ice assault that nearly leaves an 18 year-old kid paralyzed...the latter of which is apparently "acceptable" and doesn't "cross the line" according to the quoted article:

So when are we as a society going to smarten up and start charging people with assault for hits from behind like that? I never used to think that was the answer, that you accepted some risk when you played hockey, but then I realized... who accepts the risk of being hit from behind and possibly paralyzed for life? Maybe if we start taking some of these people to trial, everyone will think twice about hitting from behind or other flagrantly illegal assaults on ice.

[j-monster]

OK, now get a load of this. I heard on the radio this morning of another hockey mom going nuts at her kid's game. It was a peewee game between a Toronto team and a Mississauga team, so that's 11-12 year olds, right? Anyway, after some incident on ice, this hockey mom got real upset, so she goes to the other team's bench and flashes her tits to distract the other team!

Man, this sh*t just gets wackier and wackier! hock:

[Littleproud]

So...the kid's mom is a crack whore?

"That's right son...when in trouble, show your genetallia."

[tommygunn]

OK, now get a load of this. I heard on the radio this morning of another hockey mom going nuts at her kid's game. It was a peewee game between a Toronto team and a Mississauga team, so that's 11-12 year olds, right? Anyway, after some incident on ice, this hockey mom got real upset, so she goes to the other team's bench and flashes her tits to distract the other team!

Unbelievable... hock: