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Video shows man in handcuffs after fight in stands Friday during Memorial Cup opener

Arrested after fight at game

UPDATE: 3:49 p.m.

A Memorial Cup attendee who witnessed a brawl break out in the stands at Sandman Centre on Friday says people were shaken up after a man picked a fight with a Quebec Remparts fan and ended up getting arrested.

The QMJHL champions beat the Kamloops Blazers 8-3 during the tournament opener on Friday. Near the end of the third period, a fight appeared to break out in a balcony section near a group of Remparts fans and family members.

The witness, who asked to remain anonymous, said a man sitting nearby made comments and started bickering with a Remparts fan sitting directly in front of him.

The man left for a while, she told Castanet Kamloops, then walked back to his seat during the third period and immediately started hitting the other person.

“The guy in my row was just trying to start something for no reason,” she said, adding it’s sad this happened at a fun event.

A video taken of the fight aftermath shows an RCMP officer appearing to handcuff a man who is face down on the floor near Section AA, where the incident took place.

Yves Lacasse, chair of the Memorial Cup host organizing committee, told Castanet Kamloops he wants fans to have a good time and feel welcomed at the games. He said he was disappointed an incident like this happened during an otherwise positive and first-class tournament.

“Why would you want to come to a hockey game, get into a fight, potentially face criminal charges? That makes no sense to me,” Lacasse said.

“If that's the kind of people that you are, don't come. That’s not the kind of people that we want to see in our rink. Come and have fun.”

Do you know what happened, or do you have photos or video? Email [email protected] or call the Castanet Kamloops newsroom at 778-376-2151.


ORIGINAL STORY: 1:40 p.m.

The chair of the Memorial Cup host organizing committee says he was disappointed to hear about a fight which broke out in Sandman Centre stands during Friday’s tournament opener, adding those looking to start trouble aren’t welcome in the arena.

The Kamloops Blazers faced off against the Quebec Remparts in front of a full house for the first game of the Memorial Cup on Friday evening, with the QMJHL champions skating to an 8-3 victory.

Near the end of the third period, a fight appeared to break out in the stands near a group of Remparts fans and family members.

Yves Lacasse, chair of the tournament's host committee, told Castanet Kamloops he became aware of an incident that happened close to the end of the game.

“I understand that there was a bit of a verbal argument that led to a minor altercation,” he said.

Lacasse said he didn’t have any information about who instigated the fight, noting staff, volunteers and police attended quickly and were able to separate the people involved. He said he believes one person was taken away by Mounties.

“An incident like this cannot overshadow all of the good stuff that's going on, but yes, I was very disappointed to hear that,” he said.

Lacasse reminded fans the Memorial Cup is a hockey tournament, “not life and death.”

“This is about kids competing for a trophy. We need to be there to cheer them on,” he said.

“Sometimes a game will go your way, and sometimes a game will not go your way, but that doesn’t mean that you need to go and argue with people and get into a fight. That’s not worth it.”

He said it “makes no sense” to him why anyone would want to come to a hockey game to get in a fight and end up potentially facing criminal charges.

“If that’s the kind of people that you are, don’t come," he said. "That’s not the kind of people that we want to see in our rink. Come and have fun.”

Lacasse said he wants fans to have a good time and feel welcomed at the Memorial Cup games, adding he hopes locals will display kindness and care towards others visiting the Tournament Capital for the week.

“If you're going to be travelling and go to another city to watch hockey games, you want to be treated properly, and welcomed with open arms — and that's what we want to do with our guests,” he said.

Castanet Kamloops has reached out to RCMP for more information about the incident.

Do you know what happened, or do you have photos or video? Email [email protected] or call the Castanet Kamloops newsroom at 778-376-2151.



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