Alberton RCMP are investigating an incident last Thursday night at the O'Leary rink that left a Sherwood parent with a broken nose and 10 stitches to his face.
Halfway through a Midget AA hockey game between the Sherwood Falcons and the O'Leary Maroons, a 17-year-old O'Leary player left the ice, changed out of his hockey gear and joined fans in the stands.
With less than three minutes remaining in the third period, several fights broke out on the ice, so the referee called the game. Witnesses say the teen was in the stands swearing at the Sherwood players as they left the ice.
Rick Stanley, one of the parents from Sherwood, was worried the teen was trying to get at his players, so he stood between them. Stanley told CBC News the young player tried to push him over a rail.
"I told him at that time that he'd better get stronger than that if he's going to move me," said Stanley.
Witnesses from both sides have different stories as to what happened next, but Stanley was left with a broken nose and needing 10 stitches to his face.
"It leaves a black mark on hockey and it doesn't need to happen. Whatever happens on the ice should be left on the ice," he said.
Cathy Lidstone, a parent of an O'Leary player, was also at the game. She blamed Stanley for the altercation, and said the whole incident is not good for the game. She said the yelling at the players on the ice was not unusual.
"I'm telling you it happens all the time," she said.
"I had a friend with me who is not normally at the rink and we were sitting off by ourselves a little bit and she said, 'Oh my god, what is wrong with these people?' ... I just kind of laughed and said, 'This is hockey.'"
Lidstone said her son believes the incident has been blown out of proportion.
"I've told [my son] that it's certainly unacceptable what the young man did. I wouldn't condone it if he did it, but I would understand it," said Lidstone.
CBC News was unable to reach the player involved to hear his side of the story.
Alberton RCMP say the matter is under investigation and no charges have been laid.
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