Adults fight during the Veteran Memorial Invitational Tournament in Egg Harbor Township.
The American Ball Hockey Alliance is investigating after a tournament in Egg Harbor Township devolved into fights Saturday.
An assistant coach from the Maple Shade, Burlington County, team has been suspended.
Both the Maple Shade Cadets and Philadelphia Frenzy A teams are suspended from the tournament, the ABHA announced in a letter that was posted to their social media Monday.
"First and foremost, we want to emphasize that this type of behavior is NOT representative of normal street/dek hockey play, and violence is NEVER condoned in our sport," the letter reads in part. "The ABHA maintains a strict code of conduct that all players, coaches and organizers must adhere to, with severe penalties for those who engage in violent actions. "Additionally, we take the role of spectators very seriously and impose appropriate sanctions for those whose behavior as fans is disruptive or inflammatory."
The Veterans Memorial Tournament kicked off Saturday in Egg Harbor Township. But things turned bad at some point, according to videos that have made the rounds on social media.
"It is important to not that this incident was instigated by out-of-town teams, and, as such, does not reflect the values or behavior of the host facility, Egg Harbor Township Street Hockey, their teams or their families," the ABHA Board wrote.
BreakingAC is not sharing the videos since they show several minors. One part of a video, screenshot above, shows adults involved, including a woman who is then seen delivering several punches to a man's head.
A player is then seen trying to pull the woman off.
"We understand that videos of the incidents are circulating on social media," the ABHA wrote. "However, it is important to remember that these videos do not capture the full context of the situation. We caution against making snap judgments based solely on a partial view of the events."
The ABHA said they are fully cooperating with authorities and law enforcement agencies.
The footage also is being turned over.
The Philadelphia Frenzy and Maple Shade Cadets also put out letters addressing their teams' roles and the accepting disciplinary action.
"The behavior displayed (Saturday) was unacceptable between players and parents," the Frenzy Street Hockey Board wrote. "Hockey is a competitive sport by nature and emotions run high, however we expect all parties (players and parents) to remain composed during so to ensure the safety of the children while playing on and off the rink."
They also asked "that the parents and players take this time to reflect on yesterday's events, consider how they can contribute to a positive, respectful and sportsmanlike environment moving forward."
The Maple Shade Street Hockey Board said they "will be taking steps within our program to ensure that all players, coaches and spectators understand that this type of conduct will not be tolerated."
"Engaging in verbal or physical altercations, whether on or off the court, is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated," the board wrote.
They similarly talked about hockey being a competitive sport with high emotions, "however it is important that all parties, particularly the adults, remain composed during contentious situations to ensure the safety of the children playing the game."
