A massive brawl between two Canadian university hockey teams was allegedly started by one player mocking a sexual assault survivor.

The brawl took place Saturday night in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, where the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men were taking on the Acadia Axemen resulting in a league wide investigation by the Atlantic University Sports. During the third period, a massive brawl exploded—one that was described as “the wildest line brawl I've ever seen in U SPORTS hockey” by one sports journalist. The game ended with 320 minutes in penalties.

The brawl started out at the centre ice with two players facing off and chattering and X-Men coming in, and pushing the opposing Axemen. Two other players decided to take part and one X-Men just whips the opposing Acadia player to the ice and unloads a few shots into his face.

A few players were kicked out but shit still popped off from here. A few X-Men players made their way to the corner of the Axeman bench and started throwing. At some point a hockey player on the bench started hitting people with his stick. Another is deep in the bench throwing haymakers at anyone he could see. For some reason, a stick is thrown like a spear off camera and goes flying through the frame.

At one point, the coaches start yelling at each other over the glass. Then the two goalies got into it and… you know what? Just watch it, it’ll be easier than me describing to to you blow by blow.

The whole event was so intense for university hockey, that it was announced that Atlantic University Sports league would be conducting an investigation. Now, a few days removed, a key player in the hubbub and the coach of the X-Men have come forward alleging that a player on the Axemen sparked the entire thing by relentlessly mocking a sexual assault survivor.

STFX forward Sam Studnicka, one of the players at the centre of the brawl, released a statement in which he said that over his three years in university hockey he has faced comments regarding a sexual assault survivor. Studnicka did not name the sexual assault survivor, nor what the insults allegedly levied against him were, but said "it has taken an emotional toll on me and it has been frustrating that one AUS [Atlantic University Sports] hockey program in particular has elicited repeated on-ice comments directed towards me." The statement goes on to say that during the third period of the game on Saturday, a player made more comments of this nature and it was flagged to the refs and the Axemen’s coach.

So that’s why, Studnicka was “completely shocked when, minutes later, I was on the ice and the offending athlete (who made the comment) was sent to take the face-off against me."

“There is no place for such comments within our society," Studnicka’s statement said. “Sexual assault is a very serious issue and there is simply no place for blaming sexual assault survivors, ever.” Studnicka goes on to add that he’s proud that his teammates stood up for him.

Acadia Athletics, in their own statement, said they were working with AUS to investigate the incident but they dispute the claims made against their team. They wrote that on Sunday, the university “began an investigation regarding the validity of insinuations being made about this incident. We have been in contact with the AUS office throughout the day today, and the information we have gathered is not consistent with the allegations contained in the statements made this evening publicly by STFX.“

However, Studnicka’s coach, Brad Peddle, also released a statement outlining the same story. Peddle said that he doesn’t support fighting in university hockey but was proud of the "the actions of my student-athletes and how they chose to stand up for their teammate on an issue more important than winning a hockey game.

“I feel this incident was very avoidable based upon our repeated discussions about the situation. Supporting Sam has always been the top priority,” reads Peddle’s statement.

“In this specific instance, our team took a stand to protect him from repeated, unnecessary insults that have no place in sport of the greater society."

Studnicka reiterated Peddle saying he is “proud of the way my teammate stood up for me and for something bigger than hockey.”

“This event shows that more education is still needed on this issue,” reads the final portion of his statement. “It is a serious societal issue and we need more awareness and education on all levels so young men are aware of the implication of their words and actions."

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