Kids being taught how to fight during hockey practice!

The Hockey News came out with a shocking report when someone sent them a video of a practice in suburban Chicago where young players were called to centre ice to fight each other.

Really? 

This was caught on tape by a member of a coaching staff that was in town participating in a tournament. The coach who encouraged kids to fight is former OHL defenseman Libor Ustrnul, who explained what took place to insider Ken Campbell. 

“I work the boys hard and after practice, I ask the boys, ‘Hey, you guys want to do some battles, a little scrimmage or do you want to go in a circle and we’ll fight?’ And most of the time they say, ‘Let’s fight.’ They’re pretty much in the same age group and in the same weight class. It’s a 20-second little fight, punches in the face with the gloves on and helmet on. Most of the time they’re laughing. If they go down on the ice, I blow the whistle. I don’t want people to think, ‘Here’s these kids playing for this big, mean European and they have to kill each other.”

The boys are between 11 and 13 years old. Ustrnul believes he is teaching them how to stand up for themselves and respond. 

As you know, this didn’t sit well with many people. 

Some parents might not be thrilled to know that their kids are being taught to find by a former player who, according the website hockeyfights.com,  fought a total of 34 times, with 16 of those fights coming in 1999-2000, his rookie season with the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers.

Not sure how necessary it is nowadays to teach fighting in a hockey rink. The fighting rules have been more and more rigorous and players are fighting less and less, especially in the junior ranks and even in the National Hockey League. 

However, Ustrnul strongly believes the kids are learning some important life lessons and are having fun. 

How are you seeing it?