Wild university hockey brawl leads to coaches, 15 players suspended

HALIFAX — Two head coaches and 15 players have been suspended after an ugly university hockey brawl that has raised questions about the sport’s culture of trash talking — and attitudes toward sexual assault.

Atlantic University Sport announced the suspensions Wednesday, after members of the Acadia Axemen and St. Francis Xavier X-Men fought during a game in Wolfville, N.S., on Saturday.

The melee spread from the centre of the ice to both squads’ benches and was captured on video that was circulated widely online.

Six Acadia players and nine from the X-Men were handed automatic suspensions of between two and five games, totalling 39 games. The suspensions also apply to the two head coaches and are effective immediately.

“It’s unfortunate that something like that is even possible in our locker-rooms or within our teams in men’s hockey,” AUS executive director Phil Currie said at a news conference in Halifax.

On Monday, St. F.X. 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. F.X.

Currie issued a later clarification saying there was “some consensus” that inappropriate words were used before the melee, but there was a “lack of clarity” about their context, and said further investigation is necessary.