WHL player gets ejected from game for swinging stick at team trainer and smashing his glasses

The Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs are in full swing and there’s a heated rivalry going on in the league’s first round series between the Kamloops Blazers and Victoria Royals. 

Last night the Blazers earned a big 6-3 victory over the Royals to even the series at two apiece, but an incident that occurred in the third period with the score tied at three is all anyone is talking about a day later.

While on his own bench, Royals forward Kody McDonald violently swung his stick at the Blazers bench in an apparent attempt to strike one of the Blazers players. Instead though, McDonald smashed Blazers trainer Toledo Robinson right in the face. 

Check it out:

Miraculously though Robinson did not suffer any serious injury, despite having his glasses destroyed. 

McDonald was assessed a match penalty and ejected from the game. Earlier today the WHL came down hard on McDonald, issuing him an indefinite suspension.

Because he’s an overage player, this likely spells the end of McDonald’s junior hockey career. The undrafted 20 year old could very likely have played his last competitive hockey game as a result of his careless actions.

Read below for the full press release announcement of McDonald’s suspension, courtesy of the WHL:

Calgary, Alta. –  The Western Hockey League announced today that Kody McDonald of the Victoria Royals has been suspended indefinitely for receiving a match penalty, which occurred during a WHL Playoff game in Kamloops on Wednesday, March 27.

“The WHL takes incidents of this nature very seriously,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. “Actions of this kind are unacceptable to the WHL. The WHL Director, Player Safety is undergoing a complete review of the incident at this time.”

McDonald was assessed a five-minute match penalty at the 7:58 mark of the third period of Victoria’s 6-3 loss at Kamloops on Wednesday, March 27, which was Game 4 of the best-of-seven first-round series between the Royals and Blazers.

There will be no further comment until the WHL Director, Player Safety completes a full review of the incident.