In late June, a youth hockey coach in Canada was arrested for the rather despicable act of apparently tripping an opposing player in a postgame handshake line. Now, months later, the British Columbia resident has been charged with two counts of assault.
According to the CBC, the coach in question, George Tremblay, will appear in court for the first time later in September, at which point a future trial schedule for the former coach will be set.
The assault charges come as the result of complaints from two youngsters who faced off against the UBC Hornets' 12-and-under squad that Tremblay was coaching. Both of the formal complaints against the coach came from the players who were allegedly tripped, likely filed with the help of their parents.
It's worth reminding that those alleged victims are both 13 or younger, with the main target of the trip a notable 13-year-old playing in the league's 12-and-under division, a move which was perfectly legal because the athlete was 12 when the season began.
Of course, none of those factors could ever excuse Tremblay's alleged actions. The then-coach was immediately suspended after the allegations against him surfaced, not to mention video of the handshake line incident.
If Tremblay is convicted, it seems a near certainty that he would be fined in the range of $2,000 per assault charge, or sent to jail for up to 36 months. It's also possible that the coach could receive both of those penalties and be required to attend anger management courses.
If the former coach is found to be guilty, it would be hard to find fault with any of those prospective penalties against the Vancouver-area resident. He stands accused of attempting to harm a minor, all in the broad light of day. That can't be tolerated in Canada or the U.S., and one can only hope that any punishment that befell a violator of that code would be significant enough to serve as a sufficient deterrent for anyone who sees the trial play out.
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