The National M15 Montreal East Tournament was held on Monday evening at the Édouard-Rivet Recreation Centre. A lively match took place in the M15 BB category, with the Eastern Elite Oilers facing the Eastern Stars of Pointe-aux-Trembles.
The Eastern Stars won the game by a 4-3 score, with the winning goal scored in an empty net at the end of the match.
This was the first meeting between the two teams since January 29th, where the Étoiles de l'Est won 5-0. According to the game sheet available on the official Hockey Montréal website, this game was marked by a high number of penalties: eight on the Étoiles side and four on the Oilers' side.
Climate of terror
Before the game began, the Oilers coach banned the locker room at number 58 after catching him talking to friends of the opposing team. The player was then seen alone in the hallway while the coach gave his pre-game speech to the team.
Throughout the game, the atmosphere became increasingly tense due to the behavior of the Oilers coach. He was seen several times arguing with the referees, in front of the players.
The head referee even had to call the Oilers coach.
Major incident in third period
Other spectators say they saw the Oilers coach publicly reprimand number 58 at a game stop, urging him to play more aggressively or be put on the bench. Go for the player, or you don’t play,' he said.
In the next sequence, 6 minutes and 22 seconds into the third period, ice silence struck the arena. The Oilers number 77, son of the coach, was kicked out of the game for an illegal checkmate. This was his third penalty of the game.
While the Stars player was facing the crowd, the Oilers coach’s son made a checkmate from behind, an extremely dangerous gesture, and ice-cold silence ensued on the arena.
The Étoiles player who was hit by the vicious blow lay on the ice for several minutes, his head hitting the band and his leg twisting in the fall. The Oilers coach was seen protesting at the referee. This reaction aroused the indignation of the spectators present on the spot, considering the apparent gravity of the situation.
Not realizing the seriousness of his player’s gesture, the Oilers coach argued with the referees, while the Stars players watched with incomprehension their teammate lying on the ice, while hearing the opposing coach minimize the severity of the incident.
Fortunately, the Étoiles player, who was illegally checkmated on his head, was finally able to get up. With the help of two teammates, he tried to get back to the locker room but the severity of his injury was obvious. The young athlete had to leave the ice on one leg, supported by his comrades, under the dismayed eyes of the parents in the stands.
When the number 77 of the East M15 BB Elite Oilers was expelled, the coach designated the number 58 to serve the 5-minute penalty on the penalty bench, Obviously justifying this choice by the fact that the player had refused to play aggressively and run at the opponent, as he had demanded.
According to the official website of Hockey Montréal, at the time of writing these lines, number 77 would be suspended for 2 games for now.
Many witnesses report having seen the number 58 on the bench of punishments, dropping his stick and, making the gesture of arms signifying "it’s over", clearly expressing his cansancio in the face of the situation.
Local and provincial sports authorities will likely have to decide on the transfer of the Oilers' number 58 team.
When his team returned to the bench, unable to tolerate any more of their behaviour and incitement to aggression, number 58 decided to leave the ice in the third period.
According to all the witnesses interviewed, this was the first time they had seen a player leave voluntarily in the middle of a game, in such an unhealthy and violent context. This unprecedented situation for the spectators on the pitch has left a lasting impression and underlines the seriousness of the atmosphere that prevailed during the match.
This young man has reportedly expressed his refusal to continue playing in a team where the coach insults his players as "piece of shit" and where the assistants remain passive, acting as if the problems were only from the players.
Post-match altercation
According to the authorities present on site, tensions built up throughout the match finally broke out at the exit of the arena, turning an already hectic evening into a real hell. A physical altercation involving several parents and the two coaches marked the end of this minor hockey clash.
Simultaneously, it all started at the exit of the stands, where two young girls confronted each other verbally.
The situation quickly escalated when one of them’s father intervened with the teenager who was on the opposing team, triggering a chain reaction among the adults present.
An involved woman wearing a Étoiles de l’Est, who was trying to calm the spirits by going outside, was attacked from behind. She was grabbed by the hair and pulled back before other parents stepped in to stop the assault.
When police arrived to intervene, a first patrol headed out of the stands to contain the situation.
However, at the same time, a second altercation broke out in the players' corridor, this time involving two opposing coaches and one Star player.
Witnesses present reported that the Oilers coach made an explicit threat to a Stars player by stating:
"Next game, look up. You’re going to pay for it."
Several players from both teams witnessed this scene.
The authorities have not yet confirmed whether any formal charges are or will be laid against any of the persons involved in these multiple incidents.
Police intervention
When asked about the recurrence of such incidents, many Oilers parents reported that their children had been verbally bullied in the locker room since the start of the season, where the coach used degrading words like “piece of shit” and compared its players negatively to those of lower categories, such as the Pee-Wee.
In addition, they all mentioned, in a desperate tone, another event at a tournament in Quebec City with parents involving the police and members of a hotel in Quebec.
The coach was expelled during a game during this tournament, further emphasizing the concerns related to the toxic climate surrounding this team.
When asked about the incident, a hotel staff member shared his dismay:
"I go to university and work nights to pay for my studies. I don’t need to suffer the aggression and lack of civility of parents. It was my worst work experience," she said.
Visibly shaken by the Oilers' move to Quebec.
Safety reminder
It is essential to remember that minor hockey must be a place of learning and fun for young athletes. Aggressive and violent behaviour, whether it comes from coaches, parents or players, has no place in this context.
This incident raises serious questions about adult behaviour in the context of junior sport. Hockey Québec has been informed of the situation and is expected to launch an investigation in the coming days.
Local league officials have also been contacted to comment on the incident, but had not yet responded at the time of publication. It is important to remember that minor hockey must be a place of learning and fun for young athletes.
Aggressive and violent behaviour, whether it comes from coaches, parents or players, has no place in this context.
This altercation is a sad reminder of other recent incidents in the minor hockey world, such as last October’s Hamilton, Ontario incident where a game involving 7- and 8-year-olds was interrupted by a fight between parents.
An elite model to review?
In fact, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) could be an ideal option to host elite players in the BB, AA, AAA and AAA Espoir categories. This model would offer several advantages, including better educational and sports coaching for young athletes.
By integrating players into a structured environment, where academic and behavioural performance are also taken into account, RSEQ would focus on the overall development of the players. Also, with a large portion of the games played during the day, this system would reduce the tensions often seen in the stands, where some parents criticize referees, players or even other parents.
The strict rules of RSEQ would also allow for the exclusion of those who do not meet the standards of behaviour or academic requirements, thus encouraging an extra effort on the part of the youth to maintain their place in the team.
This structure could improve the calibre of each category by eliminating the division between school and civilian hockey, thus promoting a more homogeneous competition focused on excellence.
Such a change would also address an issue that is often raised in the civil hockey industry: high fees for parents. These four-digit costs for a season enrich local organizations without including team budgets or covering essential items such as tournaments, which are entirely paid by the parents.
By transferring the elite categories to RSEQ, this would ensure greater financial transparency and prevent teams being created solely for profit without having the talent required to truly represent an elite calibre.
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