Video captures brawl involving players, adults at NJ youth hockey tournament
Street hockey brawl in Egg Harbor Twp. under investigation
Several coaches, parents and street hockey players were involved in a brawl at a tournament in Egg Harbor Township over the weekend. Here's what we know.
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Chaos ensued at a youth street hockey tournament in South Jersey this weekend when a brawl between two teams escalated to several fights involving more young players and several adults.
The entire incident was captured on video.
What we know:
Maple Street Hockey and the Philadelphia Frenzy were competing in the Veterans Memorial Invitational Tournament in Egg Harbor Township on Saturday.
Video provided to FOX 29 captures the moment the game took a violent turn, before spiraling into a nearly 2-minute brawl.
It all began with some shoving between two players from opposite teams.
Teammates and referees attempted to intervene, but it quickly escalated into punches being thrown and players ending up on the ground.
Moments later, players and adults rushed the court as several more fights broke out.
Dig deeper:
The American Ball Hockey Alliance has suspended both teams from the tournament as they launch their own internal investigation into the incident.
The Maple Shape Cadet A assistant coach has also been suspended from the ABHA.
In a statement released on social media, the board condemned the actions seen in the video, and provided further details about those involved:
"First and foremost, we want to emphasize that this type of behavior is NOT representative of normal street/dek hockey play, and violence is NEVER condoned in our sport. The ABHA maintains a strict code of conduct that all players, coaches and organizers must adhere to, with severe penalties for those who engage in violent actions. Additionally, we take the role of spectators very seriously and impose appropriate sanctions for those whose behavior as fans is disruptive or inflammatory…"
"… It is important to note that this incident was instigated by out-of-town teams, and, as such, does not reflect the values or behavior of the host facility, Egg Harbor Township Street Hockey, their teams or their families."
What they're saying:
The boards of Maple Shade Street Hockey and Philadelphia Frenzy Street Hockey released similar statements the day after the brawl.
Both addressed the incident with "great disappointment," saying that the behavior displayed by players and parents was "unacceptable," and "far below the standards expected."
They said they would be accepting the ABHA board's disciplinary actions, while encouraging parents and players to "reflect on their actions."
What's next:
Charges will be formally announced Wednesday against several parents. Some of those charges are more serious because it happened on the court in front of kids.
The Source: The information in this story is from Egg Harbor Towbship police, Maple Shade Street Hockey and Philadelphia Frenzy Street Hockey.