SAGKEENG FIRST NATION, Man. — Kainen Bell is still shaken up. The 12-year-old boy has a hard time discussing what happened on Sunday.
“I don’t think it’s right,” he said in an interview with Global News while lying on his couch at home on Sagkeeng First Nation, his left arm in a sling after suffering a broken wrist.
Kainen is the hockey player seen falling to the ice with a referee during a melee between the minor hockey teams from Sagkeeng and Brokenhead Ojibway Nation during the Southeast Tribal Council Tournament at the Southdale Community Centre in Winnipeg on the weekend.
The chaotic scene, including the profanity-laced shouts of parents, was recorded on video and posted to YouTube under the title “12 year old smashed into the ice by Winnipeg ref.”
By Monday afternoon, the video had been viewed more than 26,000 times and sparked countrywide news coverage, a flurry of arguments on social media and a police investigation.
“I woke up this morning and thought it was just a nightmare,” said Robert Bell, Kainen’s father.
The YouTube video, posted by YouTube user Alex Pieper, is only one view of what happened. Robert also recorded the scene, and showed his video to Global News. It shows Kainen, in a white jersey, following a player from the opposing team as he skates away. Kainen appears to slash at the other player’s leg with his stick, and the other player turns and pushes at Kainen. The referee grabs Kainen with both arms from behind; both turn and fall hard onto the ice.
“When I hit the ground, it went dark for two seconds, then I rolled to the side and a kid on my team pulled me out of the game,” Kainen said. He suffered a broken wrist from the fall.
A Sagkeeng coach left the bench and entered the on-ice brawl that ensued.
Kainen’s parents aren’t buying arguments that the referee simply fell while pulling Kainen away from the other player.
“(The referee) did the wrong thing by not being able to contain two 90-pound kids,” Robert Bell said.
“There are people saying he fell, but it doesn’t look like he fell,” said mom Brenda Bell.
Police said the referee is 19 or 20 years old. No charges have been laid; officers are still trying to sort out what happened.
“My understanding is this game included a lot of rough play,” Winnipeg police Const. Jason Michalyshen said. “Officials were required to make a lot of different calls with respect to the conduct of players. It does appear emotions were running very high.”
This case comes just days after Hockey Winnipeg announced a new requirement for hockey parents to take the online Respect in Sport course before their kids can be registered for hockey. The Southeast Tribal Council Tournament was not a Hockey Winnipeg sanctioned event.
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