Search icon

Sport

07th Aug 2014

Video: Female Russian under-16 hockey player viciously breaks stick over American opponent’s head

Even by ice-hockey standards, this is a little bit over-the-top.

Conor Heneghan

Even by ice-hockey standards, this is a little bit over-the-top.

We’ve said it before and no doubt we’ll say it again; much like and probably even more so than other sports, if you play ice-hockey you’re likely to pick up an odd nasty injury or two along the way.

It’s one thing picking up said injury in accidental circumstances, however, and another being the victim of a vicious attack on the ice, as was the case with Hannah Bates of the USA women’s under-16 ice-hockey team in a clash against Russia at the U-16 World Selects Invitational girls tournament in Budapest last Friday.

With Russia trailing 2-1 at the time, one of their players lashed out at Bates, who was just picking herself up off the ice when she had a stick smashed over her head; thankfully the helmet she was wearing prevented any serious damage being done but even with a helmet on she was lucky she wasn’t badly hurt.

What Bates did (if she did anything at all) to deserve such punishment is unclear from the clip above, but she didn’t seem too perturbed by it afterwards, even taking time out to thank Warrior Helmets for their role in helping her avoid concussion on the day.

 

We love ice-hockey but this sort of thing simply isn’t on. Play hard but play fair folks.

Video via YouTube/RoeSnipz09

Hat-tip: Reddit