Fans at a minor-league hockey game in Pennsylvania got an unexpected show during intermission: an all-out fight between players aged 8 or younger, now the subject of multiple investigations. The brawl broke out Saturday during the Hershey Bears' "Mites On Ice" segment at Giant Center in Hershey, when members of the Central Penn Panthers Youth Ice Hockey Club—split into two sides—launched themselves at each other and began throwing punches, per the New York Times. Video shot by spectators shows even the goalies joining in while the crowd roared. No adults stepped in. One observer told ABC News the brawl only broke up when the buzzer signaled the young players' time on the ice was over.
The Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association announced Sunday it had launched an investigation into what it described as a "staged fight," promising "appropriate disciplinary action" against players and team officials. The AAHA also emphasized that neither it nor USA Hockey had sanctioned the intermission event. The Lancaster-based Central Penn Panthers announced their own internal review, saying the "safety, well-being, and positive experience" of young participants is a top priority.
The Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, and their opponents, the Cleveland Monsters, were in their locker rooms during the action. The Bears later distanced themselves from what happened, saying the youth scrimmage "did not reflect the values of the sport" and vowing to tighten safeguards, supervision, and expectations for any future kids' games. The incident, which drew attention on social media and was mentioned on Hockey Night in Canada, follows at least one other recent "Mites on Ice" fight during a Bears intermission, raising broader questions about how the sport introduces contact and toughness to its youngest players.
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