Ugly. Despicable. Disgusting. Heinous.
Take your pick.
Those are just a few of the words to describe the scene at a minor-hockey game in Winchester, Ont., Monday evening.
A 21-year-old hockey official was allegedly slugged by a player while breaking up a fight, leaving him with a broken jaw.
For doing his job. Nothing more.
Some meathead apparently took it upon himself to strike this defenseless official.
Truly pathetic.
The incident happened as Kyle Dearing was splitting up the pair of combatants before, as the story goes, one of the players took a couple of swings at Dearing.
Moments later, another player left the bench and shoved Dearing to the ice, according to another referee.
Al-in-all, it sounds like a scene out of Slapshot.
Except in the movies nobody gets hurt.
This story is all too real for Dearing as he recovers at home, trying to make sense of what the hell he did wrong.
In major-midget, kids are big and they hit hard. Testosterone runs rampant. And scraps are part of the game.
I like a good fight as much as the next guy. Hell, I'm the first to get up and cheer when things get rough.
But what happened Monday is not only inexcusable, but despicable
But when some knuckle-dragging twerp resorts to hitting a hockey official, a steep price must be paid.
Police are investigating and if the evidence is there, charges must be laid.
Slap an immediate ban on this kid, prohibiting him from playing any organized hockey again. Ever.
While none of this truly makes it right for Dearing, he, and other young officials, must know police and governing hockey bodies are willing to do the right thing.
And the right thing is making this thug pay through the justice system and to put an end to his organized hockey playing days.
He's lost that right.