A hockey coach with the Braves de Valleyfield Midget A team in Quebec appeared in court Tuesday to face criminal charges stemming from an on-ice incident last year that was caught on camera.
On the night of Dec. 3, 2022, the Braves were hosting the Île-Perrot Riverains on home ice.
A melee broke out at the end of the game, after a Braves’ player allegedly hurled a racial slur at 16-year-old Riverains forward Aiden Chase.
On the video of the incident, Riverains assistant coach Jason McCaig can then be seen approaching the referee. At the time, McCaig said he went to the referee to make sure what was allegedly said to his player was listed on the game sheet so a suspension could be levied.
McCaig is seen pulling his players away before being pushed to the ground by a coach from the opposing team. McCaig told Global News the incident left him with a “contusion on my hip and a bruise about the size of a grapefruit.”
Quebec’s Crown Prosecutor’s office confirmed that coach Sylvain Bélanger was charged with one count of assault against McCaig.
None of the allegations against Bélanger have been proven in court. He is due back in front of a judge on May 5.
Global News reached out to Hockey Lac St-Louis and Hockey Québec for comment but has yet to hear back.