A youth hockey player in Massachusetts has been dealt an indefinite suspension after a brutal slashing incident that was caught on camera and quickly went viral.
This occurred during a game between the South Shore Kings and the Bay State Breakers at a rink in Foxboro.
In the clip, an 11-year-old Breakers player can be seen skating up the ice before delivering a vicious, two-handed slash to the head of a Kings player.
Just brutal. Shades of Marty McSorely slashing Donald Brashear.
The moment quickly went viral on social media, with many calling for the player to get suspended from the league.
Now, that has happened.
“The Breakers player has been suspended indefinitely from practices and games,” the team told 7News (via The New York Post). “Massachusetts Hockey is currently investigating the incident and will decide the length of the suspension, as they are the governing body for our sport.”
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They also reportedly said that the player who delivered the slash wrote a letter of apology to the victim, who is said to be all right after the incident.
It’s a hefty punishment, and a deserved one.
Sure, younger players are going to have some poor judgment at times. However, by that, I mean they sometimes throw a puck out in front of their own net or get caught deep in the offensive zone and give up a breakaway.
I’d argue that an 11-year-old is old enough to know that swinging your stick at another player’s head like you’re trying to cut down a tree is not okay under any circumstances.
Good on the team for doing the right thing, and hopefully the player is taking plenty of time to reflect on his actions.
