Abusive comments reportedly made to teenaged referees by a number of North Vancouver parents at a Burnaby hockey game Feb. 25 are being investigated by the association that oversees minor hockey in the Lower Mainland.
Lynn Kiang, president of the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association, said the organization is looking into the incident to determine if any further sanctions are warranted for the unsportsmanlike behaviour that broke out in the stands during a game at Burnaby Lake Arena.
Adult fans were watching a game between peewee teams – 11- and 12-year-olds – from Burnaby and North Vancouver when “it appears there was inappropriate behaviour on the part of multiple parents in the stands watching that game,” said Kiang.
Parents from the North Vancouver team reportedly made abusive comments to three 15-year-old referees who were on the ice at the time. “All three were subject to the situation that was going on,” said Kiang.
The incident in the stands resulted in the referees stopping the game and reporting it to the head referee, who called it in to the Pacific hockey association and BC Hockey.
That resulted in the parents of the North Vancouver team being banned from a game at the Burnaby Winter Club the following day.
Burnaby RCMP were also called to the arena to make sure no trouble broke out.
Kiang said the president of the North Vancouver Minor Hockey Association came to Burnaby to explain the situation. “He talked to the team. He explained the situation,” she said. “He explained the expectation of the league and his association in terms of parent behaviour.”
Kiang said if parents receive further reprimands, that won’t happen publicly.
But she said it’s important for hockey parents to realize that “this sort of behaviour is not appropriate. Respect is required and we’ll take sanctions if necessary.”
Inappropriate behaviour on the part of parents doesn’t happen very often, said Kiang, who added she isn’t sure why some parents lose it during games.
“Hockey is a very emotional game. It’s a game where there is contact between the players. That creates additional stress, perhaps,” she said.
“Emotions do run high,” she said – especially during playoffs at the end of the season.
“It’s perhaps part of the history of the game, but I think it needs to change.”
Kiang said minor hockey associations run parent meetings at the beginning of the season, explaining behaviour expected, but sometimes parents appear to forget that code of conduct.
“Where does this particular sport sit on the scale of respect for referees?” she said. “We have work to do there.”
Nobody at North Vancouver Minor Hockey Association responded to a request for comment on the incident.
According to the association’s website, hockey parents are required to complete an educational program encouraging “positive behaviour” called Sportsmanship Starts in the Stands when their child registers for hockey.
