The gloves came off with 1:13 remaining in the third period of a Junior ‘B’ hockey game on Friday in Selkirk between the Peguis Juniors and Selkirk Fishermen.
It was the seventh and deciding game in the Keystone Junior Hockey League’s championship series.
Fishermen fan Josh Isfjord witnessed the melee from the stands.
“It was nuts,” said Isfjord.
He said the brawl left blood on the ice and that fans littered the playing surface with trash cans, Gatorade bottles, and coins.
“It was insane. I saw one kid actually throw hockey pucks at the Selkirk bench," said Isfjord.
Selkirk had a lopsided 9-0 lead in what had been up until this game, a closely-contested series.
Isfjord said it was a rough game in an arena packed with fans from both teams and emotions on the ice boiled over before time ran out.
"Once they were up nine nothing Peguis wanted nothing of it,” said Isfjord. “They couldn't win the game so I think they kind of just tried to take it out in fights."
Peguis coach Farron Cochrane said referees made some unfair penalty calls against his team and that got players riled up.
Cochrane said he's ashamed the game ended the way it did.
"I didn't send them out there to go out there and do this stupid stuff,” said Cochrane. “I guess they were so frustrated and I can't get on the ice to stop them."
The RCMP said officers were called to the game twice by someone from in the arena.
The first time officers were called was because of an issue with a call on the ice—a situation the Mounties said they “diffused.” The officers then left, but were called back a second time when things got out-of-hand.
Referees ended the game early and Selkirk still got the win.
The Fishermen wouldn't comment on the brawl but their coach Chris Poponick tweeted a photo of one of his players beaten and bruised, wearing a blood-stained uniform and holding the championship trophy. Poponick’s tweet said, “This is a Selkirk Fisherman warrior.”
Hockey player Jarrod Skazyk said the brawl has no place in the game.
"It should be a celebration of a championship and instead you're having to deal with something like that."
League commissioner Rick Olson said so far 3 players from Selkirk have been suspended for 2 games each.
Olson said he had to deal with Selkirk suspensions first because their team has moved on to the western championship and those players will have to miss games in that tournament because of what happened.
Olson said he expects more suspensions will be handed out.
There were no arrests made on the night of the brawl and no charges have been laid at this point.
The RCMP said officers are still interviewing people involved in the brawl and it's still possible charges could be laid.