A minor hockey coach has been charged with two counts of assault after he allegedly tripped a 13-year-old Richmond player in the handshake line following a game on June 23.
Martin Joseph George Tremblay, coach of the UBC Hornets, is expected back in court Sept. 13 to face the criminal charges.
The youth suffered a broken wrist when he hit the ice and had to wear a cast on his arm.
Tremblay, who is in his 40s, was arrested and released as the RCMP investigate the case. He was later suspended by the Vancouver Minor Hockey Association.
A video of the incident, which occurred at UBC's Thunderbird Arena, went viral on YouTube and garnered widespread attention across the country.
The video shows Tremblay allegedly tripping a 13-year-old player following a 5-4 win for his club during the exchange of handshakes with players on the Richmond Steel team following the game.
A similar incident occurred in Winnipeg in March last year during the post-game handshake between two minor hockey teams at a weekend tournament.
Police opened an investigation after the mother of a 12-year-old boy filed a complaint alleging the coach of the opposing team struck her boy after the game ended.
No video of that incident was recorded and it is unknown whether the coach was ever charged.
For more stories, go to www.vancouversun.com
