Hockey coach jailed for tripping 13-year-old player as teams shake hands after junior game



Martin Tremblay, 48, filmed tripping youngster from opposing team



Video shows moment of madness as players from both sides look on

Coach is jailed for 15 days after admitting one count of assault

A junior ice hockey coach has been sentenced to 15 days in jail for tripping a young player during a post game handshake.

Martin Tremblay, 48, swept out the leg of a youngster while the teams were going through the traditional hockey ritual of lining up to congratulate each other after the match.



Two players, a ten-year-old and a 13-year-old, fell to the ice following Tremblay's moment of madness. The move was caught on video and has worked its way around the Internet.

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Tradition: Coach Martin Tremblay (right in light coloured trousers) strides across the ice as the two teams line up for the traditional post-match handshake

Congratulations: He approaches the first opposition player and offers his hand, without showing any sign of what is to come

Moment of madness: Tremblay suddenly sticks out a leg and brings down one of the youngsters

T remblay has been sentenced to 15 days in jail after admitting one count of assault in November last year.

A spectator caught the assault on video and swiftly uploaded it onto YouTube, where it was viewed more than a million times.

The incident unfolded in June last year when youth teams from Richmond, British Columbia, and Vancouver were playing at the University of British Columbia.

Sentence: Martin Tremblay has been jailed for 15 days after deliberately tripping a 13-year-old ice hockey player after a match in Canada

The crowd's cheers quickly turn to boos and outrage as they witness the Vancouver Hornets coach tripping the boys. As the two boys lie on the floor, Tremblay turns and aggressively points at them.

The Vancouver Hornets had just won Saturday's game when the victorious coach lashed out. The 13-year-old injured his wrist during the incident and had to wear a cast.



Tremblay, whose son played for his team, must serve the jail sentence at a provincial corrections centre.

Tremblay's team had won 5-4 against the Richmond Steel, during which he repeatedly ridiculed the teenager, the court heard. He is said to have called the boy 'twinkle toes' and insulted his skating.

When the teams went back to the locker room, the coach admitted he deliberately tripped the child, the Ottowa Citizen reports.

Provincial court Judge Patrick Chen said 'society will not tolerate the assault of children by adults.' He said the sentence was a 'signal to other parents' about their behaviour during children's sports events, according to the Citizen.

Tension during the match had reportedly begun between Tremblay and the 13-year-old when the teen scored the opening goal.

The Crown had previously asked for a sentence of 30 days under house arrest and probation for Tremblay, but Judge Chen decided to impose the jail term for the attack which he described as a 'cowardly sucker punch on an unsuspecting victim.'

Tremblay's defence lawyer said he will likely never coach hockey again and has also been barred from his position as a leader with Scouts Canada, according to the Ottowa Citizen.

Shocking: Two players, one aged 10 and the other 13, stumble and hit the ice as the other players look on

Aggressive: There had reportedly been tension between the Vancouver coach and the 13-year-old throughout the game