Ref Gives Bantam A Concussion?

UMD · Post by **UMD** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:26 am

Is there anybody on this board that was actually in attendance at this game? I'm interested to hear what they saw.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/12/0 ... WVZY.email

I am in no way affiliated with Minneapolis hockey. Just curious to hear what others saw take place.

elliott70 · Post by **elliott70** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:54 am

The story, in case some cannot open it.

Quote
A hockey team wants answers after they say a referee went way too far.

Scott didn’t want us to use his last name to protect his son’s identity. His 14-year-old son ended up with a concussion from hitting his head on the ice.

Before any game, some hockey parents may admit to worrying about their players. None would imagine for a reason like this.

Saturday afternoon, a Minneapolis Storm Bantum team played a game at the Blake Ice Arena. Tied with five minutes to go, the goalie froze the puck and players started pushing. Two were given penalties. While one player waited to get in the box, people watching said the referee went after Scott’s unsuspecting son.

Scott said the ref pushed up his arm like a football block.

“It looked to me like he got hit right under the chin,” Scott said.

His son fell to the ice and hit the back of his head on the ice.

“I was yelling ‘You just hurt my kid,’” Scott said. “The linesman who had knocked him over and the other linesman were standing there — they weren’t doing anything.”

Ben Anderson is the head coach of the Bantum B-1 Storm. He said he’s never seen anything like that happen between his playing days and being involved in the sport as a coach.

Anderson was concerned for the rest of his team’s safety and he said he wanted the game to stop. He told the referees he would let his players back on the ice if that linesman left the game.

They refused and issued instead what’s called a match penalty basically removing Anderson from coaching until a formal forum hears his side.

“Ultimately, being suspended is the ultimate penalty because I don’t get to do what I love to do,” Anderson said.

Scott’s son has a concussion and will miss at least a few weeks. While Scott believes in respecting referees, he said they still have to play by the rules.

“I’d like them to be suspended just like our coach was suspended. I’d like them to not take the ice the way my son can’t take the ice,” Scott said.

It is difficult to go after a referee since they’re considered the ruling power in hockey. The team will file a grievance against the referee, that way he’ll be up for a disciplinary hearing. We’ve learned all of the referees involved in that game on Saturday were high ranking officials with a referee’s association.

A spokesperson told WCCO-TV they wouldn’t comment on the incident. As for the coach, Ben Anderson said his hearing is scheduled for Sunday.
Unquote

old goalie85 · Post by **old goalie85** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:02 am

What about crimnal charges ?? This ref. sounds like he may be in some trouble.

elliott70 · Post by **elliott70** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:07 am

Every witness to an event sees it from his own angle and bias.

A grievance has been filed apparently.
Perhaps we should let them handle it before someone is convicted.

While I do not doubt the player, coach, and parent; I am skeptical of the news media.

UMD · Post by **UMD** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:15 am

elliott70 wrote:Every witness to an event sees it from his own angle and bias.

A grievance has been filed apparently.
Perhaps we should let them handle it before someone is convicted.

While I do not doubt the player, coach, and parent; I am skeptical of the news media.

Exactly why I was wondering if anybody on this board actually saw the incident in person.

elliott70 · Post by **elliott70** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:24 am

UMD wrote:
elliott70 wrote:Every witness to an event sees it from his own angle and bias.

A grievance has been filed apparently.
Perhaps we should let them handle it before someone is convicted.

While I do not doubt the player, coach, and parent; I am skeptical of the news media.
Exactly why I was wondering if anybody on this board actually saw the incident in person.

Me, too.

Community Based · Post by **Community Based** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:38 am

Bantam B1.

Why does Blake have a Bantam team? They are not a youth association. Youth Associations, by definition, must support teams at all, or multiple, levels. I thought Blake was given one more year 2-3 years ago in an effort to get this once allowed loophole in line with every other youth association in the state.

Not saying that has much to do with this incident but just curious why they even have a team.

elliott70 · Post by **elliott70** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:40 am

Community Based wrote:Bantam B1.

Why does Blake have a Bantam team? They are not a youth association. Youth Associations, by definition, must support teams at all, or multiple, levels. I thought Blake was given one more year 2-3 years ago in an effort to get this once allowed loophole in line with every other youth association in the state.

Not saying that has much to do with this incident but just curious why they even have a team.

Hmmm, I must have missed it.
Where does it say Blake was playing?

demongoed · Post by **demongoed** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:02 am

Blake Bantam B1 plays in District 3

http://www.d3hockey.org/standings/show/ ... ason=61625

Puck Whisperer · Post by **Puck Whisperer** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:22 am

elliott70 wrote:Every witness to an event sees it from his own angle and bias.

A grievance has been filed apparently.
Perhaps we should let them handle it before someone is convicted.

While I do not doubt the player, coach, and parent; I am skeptical of the news media.

They make it so easy to be skeptical: Bantum?

elliott70 · Post by **elliott70** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:28 am

Puck Whisperer wrote:
elliott70 wrote:Every witness to an event sees it from his own angle and bias.

A grievance has been filed apparently.
Perhaps we should let them handle it before someone is convicted.

While I do not doubt the player, coach, and parent; I am skeptical of the news media.
They make it so easy to be skeptical: Bantum?

My thoughts exactly.

elliott70 · Post by **elliott70** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:31 am

There is no Blake association.

I am not 100% sure but I believe the 'Blake' team is registered through another association (I thought Hopkins but that is just a guess) and made up of Blake kids.

The D3 site should list them differently.

Again, I did not read in the article that the other team was Blake, just playing at Blake arena.

Community Based · Post by **Community Based** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:33 pm

There is no Blake association.

I am not 100% sure but I believe the 'Blake' team is registered through another association (I thought Hopkins but that is just a guess) and made up of Blake kids.

The D3 site should list them differently.

Again, I did not read in the article that the other team was Blake, just playing at Blake arena.

Then they should be called Hopkins, wear Hopkins uniforms, and allow Hopkins kids to be on the team. Maybe some of theBlake students could play A level with Hopkins a la the St. Louis Park Bantam A team with BSM kids and the Sibley Bantam A team with STA kids. There is no good reason they get to offer a team when no one else can. There is an appropriate structure and it's being used by St. Louis Park and Sibley. Time to close the loophole.

HockeyGuy81 · Post by **HockeyGuy81** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:38 pm

Community Based wrote:
There is no Blake association.

I am not 100% sure but I believe the 'Blake' team is registered through another association (I thought Hopkins but that is just a guess) and made up of Blake kids.

The D3 site should list them differently.

Again, I did not read in the article that the other team was Blake, just playing at Blake arena.
Then they should be called Hopkins, wear Hopkins uniforms, and allow Hopkins kids to be on the team. Maybe some of theBlake students could play A level with Hopkins a la the St. Louis Park Bantam A team with BSM kids and the Sibley Bantam A team with STA kids. There is no good reason they get to offer a team when no one else can. There is an appropriate structure and it's being used by St. Louis Park and Sibley. Time to close the loophole.

Community Based how about sticking to the point of this thread instead of CONSTANTLY making comments which refer to hockey teams being "Community Based." You also have still not acknowledged that it does not state in the article that Blake was playing. Basically, you're ranting on an unrelated subject.

I too would like to hear from someone who was there. Many times, you see refs getting in between players and trying to move one out of the way. This could have been the case here and an incredibly unfortunate accident. Or the ref could have been out of control.

Community Based · Post by **Community Based** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:45 pm

Every youth hockey team in the state of Minnesota, except 1, is communty youth association hosted.

I did some research (you didn't) and the Minneapolis Bantam B1 coach is named Anderson and they did have a game on their schedule vs. Blake on Saturday.

Just saying.

Back to the topic. Sounds like an unfortunate accident.

SWPrez · Post by **SWPrez** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:47 pm

Community Based wrote:
There is no Blake association.

I am not 100% sure but I believe the 'Blake' team is registered through another association (I thought Hopkins but that is just a guess) and made up of Blake kids.

The D3 site should list them differently.

Again, I did not read in the article that the other team was Blake, just playing at Blake arena.
Then they should be called Hopkins, wear Hopkins uniforms, and allow Hopkins kids to be on the team. Maybe some of theBlake students could play A level with Hopkins a la the St. Louis Park Bantam A team with BSM kids and the Sibley Bantam A team with STA kids. There is no good reason they get to offer a team when no one else can. There is an appropriate structure and it's being used by St. Louis Park and Sibley. Time to close the loophole.

Not so Community Based. If Hopkins has an agreement that gets their association extra ice at Blake arena, they can do whatever they want. Under registration processes with MN Hockey, they can register the team as "Hopkins Blake" no different than a "Wayzata Blue" or "Minneapolis Purple". Jerseys, they can wear whatever jerseys they want as there are no requirements there. Hopkins and Blake have a working agreement that seems to be agreeable to both and provides both with a win-win within MN Hockey's guidelines (Blake can select their team, Hopkins gets ice). I could see STA doing the same as they own their own rink and could give Sibley free hours for their youth program. BSM doesn't have their own rink and can only work the 'where you attend school' angle in cooperation with the local association teams.

Regarding the ref incident. Unfortunate that it played in the media in the matter it has, before going through the processes in place, especially the reporters final comment that it 'appears the ref did it on purpose'. Makes it sound like the ref took a kids number and tracked him down for the right moment. This may very well be an unfortunate accident where the ref came in a little too aggressive, lost balance or just surprised a kid and the kid, off balance, went down.

Facts are, there was contact, a kid did get hurt, there is a coach hearing this week and a grievance needs to be filed if the parent wants to file it against the referee. Just like in a courtroom, everyone needs a fair hearing of all of the facts before jumping to the conclusions the media did and sounds like those will take place. Not defending the coach, not defending the ref...but there are processes in place that should deal with the matter and unfortunately they require patience rather than immediacy (coach is 'benched' from all team events until the match penalty hearing takes place and his frustration is understandable as he feels he did the right thing).

As far as the media is concerned, I am reminded of a story from about five years ago where an opposing parent was being a jerk down at Parade ice arena. Police were called, guy was obstinate, police hauled him out and charged him with disturbing the peace. While he was being a jerk, the next day the media smeared him with a "Fight at Kid's Hockey Game" story (there wasn't one), showing the guy's mug shot from an arrest five years earlier, and going to his home for a comment and instead showing two rabidly drooling German Shepards barking through a chain link fence as if they were 'sicked' on the media. Guy earned the arrest, didn't deserve to be smeared like he was.

Community Based · Post by **Community Based** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 2:03 pm

Not so Community Based. If Hopkins has an agreement that gets their association extra ice at Blake arena, they can do whatever they want. Under registration processes with MN Hockey, they can register the team as "Hopkins Blake" no different than a "Wayzata Blue" or "Minneapolis Purple". Jerseys, they can wear whatever jerseys they want as there are no requirements there. Hopkins and Blake have a working agreement that seems to be agreeable to both and provides both with a win-win within MN Hockey's guidelines (Blake can select their team, Hopkins gets ice).

I'll call that a loophole. Minnesota Hockey has a structure where every team in the State is hosted by a community based youth hockey association except for one. Seems to work for everyone else. Is Blake special? And, please, don't give STA any ideas as they already think they're special.

My point is, and I'm sorry for making it on this post, once Minnesota Hockey starts making little exceptions and allowances along the fringes it opens a can of worms. Minnesota Hockey needs to shut the loophole and the can of worms. Frankly, as I mentioned earlier, I thought MN Hockey had a few years ago. Someone must have cracked the door open again. Every other school in the state hosts only a varsity and a JV team. Bantam teams are hosted by Youth Associations.

Stripes2011 · Post by **Stripes2011** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 2:10 pm

I do not think the Original post had anything to do with Blake and its Association Status. amazing how the concern is more about if the Association is doing something wrong then an injured kid.

Community Based · Post by **Community Based** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 2:20 pm

Sorry. Accidents happen. Handled poorly.

VicKevlar · Post by **VicKevlar** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 2:44 pm

Blake has always had a Bantam B1 team......I remember all the hub-bub back 6+ year ago when I was on the D3 board. At the time Blake was appealing the decision to only be able to play at B1 level.

Don't know why this keeps coming up every few years. It was decided long ago.

Last big bout of whining came when Blake won state at Bantam B1 in 2008

http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 7b9256cca1