AUS suspends 15 players, both coaches in wake of brawl

HALIFAX, N.S. — The head coaches of two university hockey teams and 15 of their players have been suspended after an ugly hockey brawl that spread from the ice to both squads’ benches.

Atlantic University Sport announced the suspensions Wednesday, days after members of the Acadia Axemen and St. FX X-Men fought during a game in Wolfville on Saturday that was captured on video and circulated widely online.

Six Acadia players and nine from the X-Men were handed automatic suspensions that ranged in length from two to five games, totalling 39 games.

The suspensions also apply to the two head coaches and are effective immediately.

“This whole situation is extremely disappointing,” AUS executive director Phil Currie said in a statement. “These are institutions of higher learning and as university sport administrators, violence at our events is unacceptable. There is no place for fighting in university sport — be it in hockey, basketball, volleyball or any other sport.”

Currie has also filed official complaints on five athletes and three coaches involved in Saturday’s incident after reviewing video evidence.

That means they will be subject to a secondary review process, which will involve the AUS sport chair “gathering additional evidence and speaking directly with players, officials and coaches involved to determine where more severe sanctions are warranted.”

It will also look into allegations the fight may have been sparked by a derogatory comment related to a sexual assault survivor that was made to an X-Men player.

On Monday, St. FX issued a statement alleging the brawl was instigated by a derogatory comment related to a sexual assault survivor that was made to an X-Men player. A few hours later, Acadia issued its own statement, saying the information it had gathered was not consistent with allegations made by St. FX.

“These allegations are troubling, to say the least,” said Currie. “We will not tolerate comments of this nature or gendered insults of any kind in our league.”

The fight occurred in the third period of the game, leading to the ejection of five Axemen players, eight X-Men and both head coaches. Currie explained that if a player left his bench, they received an automatic two-game suspension.

Videos posted to social media show players on both teams hurling profanities, striking each other and grabbing each other’s jerseys near the Acadia bench during the brawl.

Acadia is scheduled to play at Saint Mary’s University tonight, while St. FX is set to return to action Friday at the University of New Brunswick.

Acadia’s head coach, Darren Burns, was given a two-game suspension — a game misconduct penalty, and an additional game because an Axemen player was the first to leave the bench. Brad Peddle, head coach of St. FX, was also handed an automatic two games because Saturday was his second game misconduct penalty of the season.