Shaneen Robinson
APTN National News
Three men in their 20s are in custody after a weekend brawl at a championship hockey game sent players, parents, and children fleeing for the exit doors.
The incident happened at annual Southeast Winter Tribal Hockey Tournament.
Spectators watched as the group of young men battled it out – while some stepped in to try and stop the fight.
That’s when someone spotted a gun.
According to witnesses, players and parents poured out of the arena….
Joe Houle said he had to break one of the exit doors blocked by snow to get players out.
“The snow then all the kids followed…met up with my son, got to my vehicle, tried to leave but it was just jam-packed,” he said.
Houle’s son Noah was on the ice playing in the championship game.
“I looked in the crowd, everyone was leaving… I had to duck beneath the bench,” he said.
According to Winnipeg police, six men were involved in the fight.
Three men between the ages of 23 and 28 were arrested and face a number of charges including assault, and possession of a firearm.
“Very happy that it ended safely,” said Const. Rob Carver. “No one was hurt, we didn’t have any injuries.”
Carver said the gun that was seized is a replica bb-pellet gun.
He said although some social media posts said it was a gang fight – in his opinion it doesn’t appear to be gang related.
“From my assessment of the information here I wouldn’t term it gang related,” said Carver. “But I don’t know if I would go so far as to argue that it isn’t, doesn’t have any gang overlays.”
Social media was flooded with comments from parents in Winnipeg and surrounding First Nations about the incident – all sharing their disappointment.
These tournaments used to be fun to go watch! Lots of great hockey played by many talented Aboriginal hockey players! Now it’s come to this? Guess this is now a dying event as it is just a den for dealers to sell and druggies to buy drugs! That’s too bad this tournament was marred by idiots. Glad no one got seriously hurt!
Course, gotta get crazy at the rink! Nothing else to be mad at, then hockey, we should try to get our passions to change our home communities and get some real change out side the rink instead of this happening.