OFSAA to investigate after player’s helmet ripped off during game

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OFSAA hockey tournament organizer on hosting

St. Charles College wins bronze in OFSAA hockey final

Greater Sudbury hosted the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSSA) boys’ and girls’ A/AA championships last week. While the boys host team, the St. Charles College Cardinals, won a bronze medal that is not why the team or the tournament is making headlines.

The OFSAA is investigating an on-ice altercation during the boys’ portion of the tournament, after a viral video captured a player forcibly removing an opponent’s helmet and throwing it back at them during a game.

The incident occurred during the third period of the game between the host team, St. Charles College Cardinals, and the Essex District High School Raiders on Wednesday. The video, which has circulated widely online, being viewed thousands of times and shared almost 100 times as of Sunday, shows a Raiders player, identified as #13, pulling off a Cardinals player’s helmet and tossing it back before officials intervened.

The Raiders player received two five-minute major penalties for attempting to injure and physical harassment of officials, as well as a two-minute minor penalty for head contact. The player was ejected from the game and faces further disciplinary action.

Darren Michelutti, co-convener of the tournament, confirmed the incident was addressed during the event.

“With hockey, it is a physical sport – but that was something we had to deal with. It has been dealt with,” Michelutti told CTV News on Thursday. He described the overall tournament as “very smooth,” with no other major issues reported over the three-day event.

Michelutti added that the player’s school and OFSAA will follow up with further discipline.

“Obviously, a suspension is already in play,” he said.

“The school will continue to develop its own report with OFSAA overseeing.”

The St. Charles College Cardinals did go on to win the bronze medal at the tournament on Thursday, but most of the attention on social media has been about this game rather than the team’s on-ice results.

CTV News has reached out to Essex District High School for comment on the incident and to inquire about any further disciplinary measures taken, however, those messages have not yet been returned.

OFSAA has not yet released additional details about the incident, its investigation or potential sanctions beyond the game summary posted to their website.

With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Chelsea Papineau