Canadian hockey referee arrested after allegedly hitting youth player

March 15, 2023 / Athletic AdministrationCoachingHockey
A Canadian hockey referee has been arrested after allegedly hitting a youth hockey player at the end of a game last weekend.

Quebec City police spokesperson Sandra Dion told reporters that police responded to the incident just before 9:30 AM on Sunday.

hockeyWitnesses said the referee deliberately nudged a 10-year-old in the abdomen. The referee’s identity has not been made public.

A recent story from Yahoo! Sports detailed the events that led up to the referee being arrested.

Below is an excerpt from the Yahoo! Sports story.

“Personally, I was more surprised than shocked,” an employee of the ice rink told TVA Sports in a translation.

Dion did not specify the cause of the alleged altercation but mentioned that the man was arrested following discussions with witnesses and parents.

“The parents in the stands were really not happy,” they continued. “They started yelling at the referee and obviously decided to call the police.”

The purported victim sustained no injuries, per the Canadian Press.

The incident occurred when the teams were making their way to the locker room, the outlet added.

» ALSO SEE: LSU Athletics has $500M impact on local economy

“The man was released a few hours later on a promise to appear,” Dion said of the referee, according to TVA Sports.

A representative for Hockey Québec in the Chaudière-Appalaches area called the referee’s actions “deplorable.”

The referee was immediately suspended and will not return to the ice until the police inquiry concludes, they added.