TIMMINS, Ont. - A teenaged hockey player received probation an community service for hitting another player in the head with his stick.
A 13-year-old hockey player was sentenced Monday following assault charges laid in October 2009 during a Timmins hockey tournament.
The player, who can not be named under the Young Offenders Act, plead guilty in February to assault with a weapon after hitting another player with his stick in a "baseball swing motion."
According to game referee Perry Charette, the youngster's team was losing the game when the player received a penalty for hitting from behind. On his way off the ice, the boy "veered to the left," and hit the opposing player on the back of the head.
"This is the worst incident I've ever seen as a referee," said Charette in a statement read before the court. "I've never seen anything this violent."
In an act that was described by Crown attorney Dave Thomas as "deliberate, calculated, and retaliatory," the offending player cracked his opponent's helmet, causing a mild concussion.
"These hockey players aren't gladiators in a coliseum," said Thomas. "And even if these players do assume some sort of risk when they step onto the ice, they do not assume the risk of being clobbered in the back of the head."
Court heard that following the attack, the youth felt remorse, and physical illness.
Source: Toronto Sun
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