An 11-year-old hockey player has been hit with a harsh punishment following a “despicable” hit during a youth game.
Video went viral this week of a young hockey player using his stick as a weapon during a youth game. The young hockey player skated toward an opposing player and drilled him in the face with his stick. Parents could be heard in the stands expressing their outrage over the incident.
“Kid should be banned from the league,” one fan wrote in a clip shared to X that has been viewed more than 8 million times.
The attacking player is from the Bay State Breakers. The Massachusetts hockey league has announced that the 11-year-old player has been suspended. He could face further punishment, too.
Meanwhile, the father of the injured player told 7News that his son is doing OK.
“The Breakers player has been suspended indefinitely from practices and games,” the team told 7News, while adding that the attacker wrote an apology letter to his victim.
“Massachusetts Hockey is currently investigating the incident and will decide the length of the suspension, as they are the governing body for our sport.”
Following the hit, a referee immediately skated between both players, ejecting the attacking player. The two players had previously had a bit of an entanglement during the game, but nothing had escalated, until that moment later in the game.
Massachusetts Hockey has told 7News that they are “aware of the incident and it is being handled in accordance with Massachusetts Hockey and USA Hockey’s discipline processes.”
The Bay State Breakers is a hockey organization with teams competing in the EHF, the EHF Selects and the NEGHL. They are one of the premier organizations in the New England region.
“The Breakers organization offers competition and development to our players in the premier youth leagues for both boys and girls in New England.”
