Burnaby men’s league hockey player allegedly kicked in head, video shows

A hockey player in a local men’s league is under investigation by RCMP after apparently kicking an opponent.

A viral video circulated shows the kick during a Adult Safe Hockey League (ASHL) game on July 29 at the Scotia Barn in Burnaby.

The video shows two players wrestling on the ice, when one player kicks his opponent, causing the other player to clutch his face.

Watch video:

Cpl. Mike Kalanj with the Burnaby RCMP says while there were injuries to the player, the investigation is still in its infancy.

He says he was aware of the video on social media, but police still need to speak to witnesses and look over a longer version of the video.

“This isn’t something I believe that happens every day. [There are] fights in hockey all the time. But this is a step beyond that,” he said.

“Sometimes things happen and reactions are always important, good or bad. And this looks like a pretty bad decision.”

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Kalanj adds the investigation will look at the criminality of the kick, and decide where the line is drawn between the physicality of hockey and a crime.

“Hockey is obviously one of the more rough sports. So at what point does someone’s actions turn from just playing hockey to being an assault,” he said. “So it really is just to figure out if there’s actually a crime here.”

In a statement the ASHL says the player will be suspended until further notice.

“The conduct and on-ice behaviour depicted in the video in no way aligns with the values of our league and the rules of the game,” said the statement. “As a result of their actions, the offending player was issued a match penalty during the game, as well as a game ejection. Subsequently, the player was automatically suspended indefinitely.”