By: Joshua Gearhart

Hershey Bears fans typically expect players such as Dalton Smith or Justin Nachbaur to embrace an enforcer-style of play, but nobody was prepared for the Central Penn Panthers 8U team to engage in a full-on line brawl during intermission. The events that unfolded on Jan. 10 during a typical “Mites on Ice” game have since sparked a global discussion: What does the future hold for this iconic intermission scrimmage?

The Hershey Bears immediately released a statement addressing the concerns regarding player safety. 

“What occurred during (the) scrimmage … held during an intermission of a Hershey Bears game did not reflect the values of the sport or the standards we expect when young athletes are on the ice,” stated the Bears organization. “Hockey must always be played within the rules, with safety as the top priority.”

The Bears assume no responsibility to supervise the intersquad scrimmage, other than providing the ice for the players. The team’s coaches direct and supervise play on the ice.

On Sunday, the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association followed suit, issuing a statement of their own, claiming the fight was “staged.” 

“Affiliate, league, and club officials are investigating the matter, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against those players and team officials involved in the staged fight,” the hockey association said. “This intermission game was not sanctioned by USA Hockey or the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association.”

The Central Penn Panthers are actively conducting an internal review of the incident, which will include gathering information from all parties involved.

“At this time, we believe it is important to allow this process to take place before drawing conclusions,” said the Central Penn Panthers. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our families, partners and community as we work through this matter.”

The Bears plan to work closely with participating teams and partners to ensure clear safeguards, supervision and expectations are in place for any future youth activities held during games.

“Our focus remains on protecting young players and upholding the integrity of the sport,” said the Bears organization.

Takeaways:

• Expect changes to come after this incident. This was the second time a fight occurred during a “Mites on Ice” game, and while it might be entertaining to some, the safety of players is the primary concern in this instance.

• The discourse between fans on social media was quite intriguing. Some fans supported what transpired, while others were willing to voice their opposition to the altercation.