Two charged in off-ice fight during Jets game

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This article was published 29/11/2022 (512 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A fight in the Canada Life Centre stands during Tuesday night’s Winnipeg Jets game ended with blood on the rink boards and two people in handcuffs.

As the Jets took on the visiting Colorado Avalanche, a 34-year-old man from Winnipeg and a 28-year-old woman from The Pas began getting rowdy and yelling profanities to the point where security staff asked the pair to leave at the beginning of the third period and were subsequently assaulted by the suspects, police said Wednesday.

Two security guards (a 50-year-old woman and 36-year-old man) were treated for minor injuries.

Video shared on social media shows another man in a Jets jersey attempting to intervene, tussling with the male suspect before the two fall down some stairs in the lower bowl.

The 54-year-old man hit his head against the boards and started bleeding. On-ice officials threw towels over the glass for people assisting him. The man was sent to hospital with head lacerations and treated, police said.

Officers arrested both suspects after a struggle. The pair were charged with two counts of assault each and resisting a peace officer.

The female suspect (who was wearing an Avs jersey) was also charged with assaulting a peace officer; city police said she spit at an officer while in custody.

Both have been released on an undertaking to appear in court at a later date.

While TV cameras panned away from the scuffle, Jets fan Jeremiah Kornelsen was sitting in row 6, on the aisle, one row away from the incident as it escalated to violence.

“It was 100 per cent concerning and scary to witness so close to us. Both my girlfriend and I were quite rattled after the incident… I’ve never seen anything like this at any event, let alone a Jets game,” he said in a social media message.

Police said they believe alcohol was a factor; Kornelsen called it an “unfortunate incident fuelled by alcohol.”

“I think security did exactly what they could’ve and should’ve done in that situation. I will say, obviously, alcohol is a problem at any event and the Avalanche fans were very clearly hammered by the middle of the game, so I don’t know what the policy is for cutting people off,” Kornelsen said.

The Winnipeg Jets fan code of conduct says guests who appear intoxicated will be promptly removed from the Canada Life Centre by security.

Team and arena owner True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd. said it was working with the Winnipeg Police Service.

“In addition to assisting WPS in its investigation, True North’s focus is on providing care to employees and guests who were impacted and affected by this incident,” TNSE corporation communications director Krista Sinaisky said in an emailed statement Wednesday.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca