Sask. minor hockey refs suspended for ending game over alleged fan abuse
A minor hockey referee is blowing the whistle on the Saskatchewan Hockey Association after being suspended for cancelling a game due to officials’ safety concerns.
Kyle Chudyk, 29, officiated a game in Hague on Jan. 26 between the town’s bantam team and the Prince Albert Hurricanes in the Sask Valley Minor Hockey League.
He said the visiting team’s fans and coach were verbally abusive throughout the game, with one fan being removed after allegedly yelling obscenities at the referees.
“I’ve been reffing long enough to learn you hear stuff up in the stands, you tune a lot of it out,” he said. “But to have a dozen fans and parents all yelling at you, that’s a little over the top.”