The Central Penn Panthers have released a statement addressing the youth hockey fight that happened at a Hershey Bears game over the weekend.
The organization said it conducted an internal review of the Youth (Mites) on Ice event that took place during intermission, expressing that the altercation was not planned by their organization or coaches.
The organization reviewed multiple video sources, including full broadcast footage and interviews with coaches, parents, and players who attended the event.
In a joint statement, Owner Ray Ferry and President Wil Younger said, “Based on this review, we state clearly and unequivocally that this incident was not planned, staged, encouraged, or directed by our coaches or by the Central Penn Panthers organization. Reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate and not supported by the facts.”
The statement explained that the players involved are a close-knit group who have played together for over three years, describing them as a “band of brothers.”
The organization said the unique environment of the event, which included a large crowd and an exhibition scrimmage without officials, led the young players to misinterpret the situation as “show time.”
The organization said the altercation began with a slash from one player, escalated through additional contact, and ultimately resulted in punches.
Addressing concerns about adult supervision and calls for coach discipline, the organization said the coaches received instructions from the event coordinator and were told that two officials would oversee the exhibition. When intervention did not occur, the head coach took action by stepping onto the ice to ensure player safety.
Many videos of the fight went viral on social media, with some gaining more than 16 million views.
“We recognize that the short video clips circulating on social media understandably caused concern and tell a troubling but incomplete story,” the statement said. “A full review of the entire intermission footage provides critical context not reflected in viral posts.”
The organization said the team involved will be held accountable for the reckless altercation.
“They have been made explicitly aware that their actions were unacceptable, dangerous, and have no place in youth hockey,” the statement said. “While this was the largest stage any of these children had ever experienced, with thousands of spectators cheering, the behavior displayed carried real risk and could have resulted in serious injury. We are grateful that no one was hurt.”
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