Another charged in hockey scuffle

L ETHBR IDGE , A LTA . • A second man has been charged after an attack on a referee and a coach at a recent youth hockey tournament in Lethbridge, Alta.

A cellphone video shot by a spectator at the Crossings Ice Centre captured the confrontation on Sunday.

Police say a 36-year-old man they had been seeking turned himself in Sunday evening, hours after the onice scrap at the three-onthree tournament.

Todd William Cross Child, of Lethbridge, is facing two counts of assault and has been released on a promise to appear in court Oct. 9.

Robert Farrell Creighton, a 55-year-old resident of Standoff, Alta., was previously charged with assault and will appear in court the same day. Police said there would be no further charges filed against either man.

Police have previously said a 10-year-old player got into a verbal spat with a referee, which escalated to the youth striking the official twice with his stick and the referee pushing the player to the ice.

A group of coaches and a relative of the player then walked onto the ice, where a coach from the opposing team was allegedly shoved down and the referee punched multiple times by the relative and a second man before the fight ended.

Blair Spence said his 10-year-old son was participating in the competition when the confrontation exploded but said the boy and his teammates were ushered off the ice before it escalated.

As a coach and hockey parent, Spence said he’s never seen an incident like Sunday’s, adding he’s at a loss as to why such a young boy would strike a referee.

“That kid will never be on another team,” he said.

The Lethbridge Minor Hockey Association said it was not affiliated with the tournament, which involved unsanctioned, uncertified activities and officials not up to its standards of discipline.

“Any individual who was involved in this incident who wishes to join LMHA at a future date will be having to answer to their involvement (in this event) prior to being accepted into our program,” wrote association general manager Keith Hitchcock in a statement.

The annual Quest for the Cup tournament involved players between the ages of seven and 12 and was organized by the Lethbridge-based skills development business High Performance Hockey.

The company said on its website that “Actions like this have no place in our game.” It also said the three-on-three tournament is an opportunity for players to enjoy the game of hockey with their friends. “For that reason, we are especially disappointed to see an act like this occur.”

ACTIONS LIKE THIS HAVE NO PLACE IN OUR GAME.