Rising NHL star suspended for assault on a fan

The Ontario Hockey League has handed down a two-game suspension to Barrie Colts defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson following a heated postgame incident involving a fan earlier this week.

Aitcheson is a top prospect, selected in the first round, 17th overall by the New York Islanders at this summer’s draft. The Isles had just traded star defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens that same day to make sure to secure back to back first round picks and get their hands on Aitcheson.

However, Aitcheson got in trouble when his emotions boiled over after Saturday night’s shootout loss to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. After the game’s wild finish, Aitcheson was caught on video dumping his entire water bottle on a fan while exiting the ice.

Aitcheson was visibly frustrated after he and his Colts had a 3-1 lead in the game and saw it slip away in the third frame with the Greyhounds forcing overtime and eventually winning in a shootout. As the Greyhounds celebrated, you could tell the animosity was at its highest with players exiting the ice, and Aitcheson took his anger out on the fan. The incident was caught on camera and quickly went viral on social media with fans and pundits demanding punishment, while others thought it was immature, but not suspension worthy.

The OHL’s decision to suspend Aitcheson for two games sends a clear message to all of its players, and it does not matter if you are one of the NHL’s top upcoming prospects, and the cornerstone for the Islanders’ future.

The suspension means the Colts are without one of their top defenders for a pair of important games, but let’s hope that for Aitcheson it will be a reminder that he needs to work on his composure since it is as important as talent.