Out-of-control hockey parents banned from watching son play hockey

A Winnipeg couple will not be able to see their Pee Wee hockey-playing son on the ice again for three years because of a fight the couple had with coaches at a tournament in West Fargo.

The Winnipeg Free Press says the couple have been banned from any games for three years.

The woman went into the Selkirk dressing room and began yelling at the Selkirk coach.

“The coach told her to get out,” McIntosh said. “There were 16 or 18 eight-year-old boys sitting in there … By her action, (she) traps those kids in that room. She clearly invaded their privacy.

“Then she’s swearing and yelling at the coach in front of these eight-year-olds.”

The coach was trying to convince her to leave when her husband showed up.

“He (husband) came over top of her and the allegation is that he punched the (Selkirk) coach in the chest. His evidence is he pushed the coach,” McIntosh said. “Then what happened was a big melée. Some other people got involved and there was a big fight right there.”

McIntosh said some of the youngsters have been traumatized by the violence.

“Some of those kids have had some difficulties since (seeing the fighting), not sleeping at night, that kind of thing,” McIntosh said. “Talking to the (Selkirk) parents and coaches, it was difficult for them on the way home to explain what happened. The River East team was kicked out of the tournament so their parents and coaches had to explain to those kids why they’re not in the tournament anymore.”

This is one of those times when you actually do want to read the comments. Of the 112 on the paper’s website, every one supported Hockey Winnipeg’s action.

Good for Hockey Winnipeg. It’s about time something was done which will hopefully deter these maniac parents from behaving so badly. Years ago, I used to go to my brother’s hockey games and was very disturbed how the parents in the stands swore and screamed at the ref and even yelled at their own kids when they made a bad move. NOT COOL. That behaviour made me opt out of going to games.

Listen up hockey parents: you have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than your kid becoming an NHL prospect.

UPDATE: The parents are appealing the ban and saying they were only trying to protect their son.