"Calls for lifetime ban after vicious attack on young (OHL) hockey player."

[The Bread Guy]

I know next to nothing about hockey, but even to me, it seems like more than just "rough play" ...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1989727377690366218

Calls for lifetime ban after vicious attack on young hockey player.

A vicious attack on a 17 year old defensemen leads to calls for a lifetime ban.

www.hockeyfeed.com

OHL suspends Steelheads' Dragusica after slashing Generals' Blaseg

www.sportsnet.ca

Canadian Junior Hockey Player Faces Lengthy Suspension After Shocking Stick-Swinging Attack That Left His Opponent Down & Out [VIDEO]

Luke Dragusica faces an indefinite OHL suspension after a violent stick swing left Brady Blaseg bleeding, creating outrage.

www.totalprosports.com

Even made the NY Times ...

OHL suspends Steelheads’ Luke Dragusica for slash to head vs. Generals

Dragusica was given a match penalty before Brampton's 3-1 win, and the suspension is "pending review" according to the OHL website.

www.nytimes.com

Also archived here.
So far, OHL info-machine says he's suspended "pending review" (highlight mine)

 

[brihard]

I know next to nothing about hockey, but even to me, it seems like more than just "rough play" ...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1989727377690366218

Calls for lifetime ban after vicious attack on young hockey player.

A vicious attack on a 17 year old defensemen leads to calls for a lifetime ban.

www.hockeyfeed.com

OHL suspends Steelheads' Dragusica after slashing Generals' Blaseg

www.sportsnet.ca

Canadian Junior Hockey Player Faces Lengthy Suspension After Shocking Stick-Swinging Attack That Left His Opponent Down & Out [VIDEO]

Luke Dragusica faces an indefinite OHL suspension after a violent stick swing left Brady Blaseg bleeding, creating outrage.

www.totalprosports.com

Even made the NY Times ...

OHL suspends Steelheads’ Luke Dragusica for slash to head vs. Generals

Dragusica was given a match penalty before Brampton's 3-1 win, and the suspension is "pending review" according to the OHL website.

www.nytimes.com

Also archived here.
So far, OHL info-machine says he's suspended "pending review" (highlight mine)
View attachment 96793

Is there any particular reason not to charge him criminally for that?

 

[The Bread Guy]

Is there any particular reason not to charge him criminally for that?

Great question - wonder if that's part of the "review"? TSN said he got a 5-minute match penalty for it, so maybe someone's IA thought was, "crappy, doesn't seem that bad."

 

[ModlrMike]

Is there any particular reason not to charge him criminally for that?

Accepting that you are more qualified in this area.. my $0.02. I think the threshold would/should be "was the offending act a normal part of the game"? I think we can all say that it isn't, and therefore it crosses the boundary into being an assault.

 

[brihard]

Accepting that you are more qualified in this area.. my $0.02. I think the threshold would/should be "was the offending act a normal part of the game"? I think we can all say that it isn't, and therefore it crosses the boundary into being an assault.

To me it easily meets assault with a weapon. The argument about ‘normal part of the game’ comes down to one of consent; you implicitly consent to some roughness and contact when playing hockey, for sure. I don’t think anyone’s signing up for this though.

Was he actually injured? You also cannot consent to bodily harm even if a fight is otherwise consensual.

Sure as hell this dude doesn’t deserve to be out on the ice.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I'd say 100% chance of criminal charges.......

 

[medicineman]

I'd say 100% chance of criminal charges.......

 

[dapaterson]

I'd say 100% chance of being a first round pick by the Flyers criminal charges.......

Ahem.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I have a feeling "but we don't want to ruin the future of this aspiring young athlete" comes into play.

 

[Haggis]

Is there any particular reason not to charge him criminally for that?

A friend of mine, now in his 50's, was charge criminally and found guilty for a junior hockey fight years ago where he injured the other player. If I recall correctly it was a broken jaw.

 

[lenaitch]

I think a Crown would want more than a wide-shot video and maybe a couple of statements before prosecuting. True that the 'victim' was skating away, but the offender didn't two-hand him after a full wind-up.

I would be interested about the injuries sustained. I don't want to throw shade on the 'victim', but the OHL level is level is pros-in-training and they all know that a head contact is at least a minor and possibly a major penalty. Hockey players are pretty stoic but milking a minor into a major isn't unheard of.

If the reaction of the receiver was all that was needed, they would need a full platoon of cops at a soccer match.

Whether a charge is appropriate will boil down to concepts of accepted level of consent to 'violence' and any departure from behavioral norms of the sport.

When Rough Play Becomes Assault - Sport Law

Published February 11, 2014 The use of criminal law to regulate the conduct of sport participants has a long history, within which Canada is noted as being unique in using criminal law as a means of governing player behaviour. Indeed, Canadian case law has provided the basis for judicial reasoning…

sportlaw.ca

 

[brihard]

I think a Crown would want more than a wide-shot video and maybe a couple of statements before prosecuting. True that the 'victim' was skating away, but the offender didn't two-hand him after a full wind-up.

I would be interested about the injuries sustained. I don't want to throw shade on the 'victim', but the OHL level is level is pros-in-training and they all know that a head contact is at least a minor and possibly a major penalty. Hockey players are pretty stoic but milking a minor into a major isn't unheard of.

If the reaction of the receiver was all that was needed, they would need a full platoon of cops at a soccer match.

Whether a charge is appropriate will boil down to concepts of accepted level of consent to 'violence' and any departure from behavioral norms of the sport.

When Rough Play Becomes Assault - Sport Law

Published February 11, 2014 The use of criminal law to regulate the conduct of sport participants has a long history, within which Canada is noted as being unique in using criminal law as a means of governing player behaviour. Indeed, Canadian case law has provided the basis for judicial reasoning…

sportlaw.ca

There’s at least one other angle showing it closer up, and it looks pretty ugly to me. From how I’m seeing it, it was from behind, the victim was unaware, you see the aggressor turn his stick to get the victim with a particular part of it, and then he comes in and further cross checks him when he’s down, which to me speaks further to his mindset and intent. Whatever minor provocation may or may not have happened before, I can’t see anything justifying this. This appears not to have been an incidental or minor contact, but an attack with some deliberation. From one account I read, the victim was bleeding quite a bit from it.

Anywhere but a hockey rink there would be zero question that this is a 267. I don’t personally have the necessary knowledge of hockey norms to say this is outside of what would be regulated in house, so I’ve put the question out there.

If this guy ever steps foot on the ice again, he’s gonna get absolutely levelled, over and over. But he’d have to be pretty shit hot for a team to take a chance on him after this; I don’t know if he’s that good.

 

[lenaitch]

There’s at least one other angle showing it closer up, and it looks pretty ugly to me. From how I’m seeing it, it was from behind, the victim was unaware, you see the aggressor turn his stick to get the victim with a particular part of it, and then he comes in and further cross checks him when he’s down, which to me speaks further to his mindset and intent. Whatever minor provocation may or may not have happened before, I can’t see anything justifying this. This appears not to have been an incidental or minor contact, but an attack with some deliberation. From one account I read, the victim was bleeding quite a bit from it.

Anywhere but a hockey rink there would be zero question that this is a 267. I don’t personally have the necessary knowledge of hockey norms to say this is outside of what would be regulated in house, so I’ve put the question out there.

If this guy ever steps foot on the ice again, he’s gonna get absolutely levelled, over and over. But he’d have to be pretty shit hot for a team to take a chance on him after this; I don’t know if he’s that good.

Ya, you're right about the follow on actions, and I missed the blood on the ice.

All of these guys are in some NHL team's minor system. They may be re-evaluating their options.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I have a feeling "but we don't want to ruin the future of this aspiring young athlete" comes into play.

Oh, it's come up in the socials here and there already, for sure.