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League to discuss security after fans brawl in stands

Mar 31, 2016 | 5:00 PM

A large brawl in the stands of a senior hockey championship game in Unity will be brought up at the league’s spring meeting. But the president of the Sask West Hockey League wonders what can be done.

A two-and-a-half minute video taken by a fan at the fifth and deciding game of the league championship between Biggar and Wilkie Tuesday March 29 shows a large number of spectators tussling in the stands immediately after the Wilkie Outlaws secured the title.

 

 

“I was in the penalty box,” recalled league president David Hogg. “We were… getting ready to do the presentations of the league trophy and MVP of the playoffs, and all of a sudden you hear a big ruckus at the one end of the rink and you could hear people yelling ‘there’s fights’ or whatever going on down there.”

He remembers occasional fights between individuals at games, just like at other large events. But this is a first in his association with senior hockey, and he feels it’s an undeserved black eye for the league.

“It’s got nothing to do with what happens on the ice. It was all off the ice,” he said. “You’re trying to present a good league for entertainment, and this happens.”

Nick Wourms, who shot the video and posted it to Facebook, said things appeared to boil over after words had been exchanged during the game. Hogg suspected a mix of alcohol and fans travelling from several surrounding communities was to blame for the altercation.

League governors will meet in Luseland April 11. Hogg said they’ll discuss possible new security measures.

“Maybe hire security or maybe have police come through at the end of the game… (and) see what we can do,” he said. But it’s a conversation he never expected would be needed.

“Those are two very good hockey teams going at it, and it comes up with this. Two evenly matched teams go to Game Five, and they have a wicked game… I don’t know what else you can do to stop this.”

According to RCMP, they did not receive any complaints at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported. They’ve begun an investigation. Hogg said he saw RCMP members at the arena earlier during the game. Wourms says police were at the arena, but the crowd was so thick they couldn’t intervene in the fight before it ended.

-With files from CJME

gsmith@jpbg.ca
On Twitter: @smithco