Youth hockey parent suspended for inappropriate behavior toward referee

A youth hockey parent from Minnesota has been suspended from attending games after a video surfaced of his behavior toward a referee.

The 17-second video showed a man running down the bleachers yelling and throwing money at a referee during a Brainerd Amateur Hockey Association peewee hockey tournament in Rochester, MN.

The video, linked below, amassed more than 200,000 views on X, formerly known as Twitter, and sparked conversations in the comment section.

A recent story from The Rink Live detailed the incident in Minnesota involving a parent from a youth hockey game.

Below is an excerpt from The Rink Live story.

“This needs to stop! We have a shortage as it is. This parent/fan from Brainerd yells obscenities and throws money at an official after the game here in Rochester, during the Big Pumpkin PEEWEE TOURNAMENT. Terrible,” posted @LHSBoysPuck on the social media platform.

This needs to stop! We have a shortage as it is. This parent/fan from Brainerd yells obscenities and throws money at an official after the game, here in Rochester, during The Big Pumpkin PEEWEE TOURNAMENT. Terrible. @YouthHockeyHub @FollowThePuck @mnhshockeytalk pic.twitter.com/DPRA0f4jDA

— Lourdes Eagles Hockey (@LHSBoysPuck) October 28, 2023

A few days later, Brainerd Hockey and its Board of Directors posted a graphic on social media that read as follows…

“Brainerd Amateur Hockey Association was informed of an inappropriate incident between a parent and a referee following a game in Rochester this past weekend. As an association, we are very disappointed; this parent’s behavior clearly violated our parent code of conduct. This incident reflects poorly on what was a very positive experience for our PW AA players and coaches in The Big Pumpkin Tournament.”

“We extend our sincere apologies to the referee involved, the Rochester Youth Hockey Association, and Youth Hockey Hub. The BAHA Board of Directors has suspended this parent indefinitely from all BAHA-sanctioned activities. Further review of the situation will be addressed by our SafeSport/Discipline/Grievance Committee to determine a timeline for any possible reinstatement.”

To read the full story from The Rink Live about the incident, click here.