At a Glance
- A bench-clearing fight erupted among 8-and-under players during the Hershey Bears’ intermission “Mites on Ice” segment on Jan. 10
- No adults or referees intervened while children threw punches and body-slammed each other as the crowd cheered
- The Central Penn Panthers Youth club, AAHA and the Bears have all opened investigations, with AAHA calling it a “staged fight”
- Why it matters: The incident raises urgent questions about supervision and safety protocols for youth events at professional games
A routine youth-hockey showcase turned into a shocking free-for-all when dozens of children-none older than 8-began punching, tackling and slamming one another to the ice during the Hershey Bears’ Jan. 10 intermission.
Chaos Erupts on Ice
The brawl broke out inside the Bears’ family-friendly “Mites on Ice” program, a between-periods staple that pits local mini-mites in a scrimmage while fans watch from the stands.
Video circulated widely on social media shows:
- Players peeling off gloves and swinging at teammates
- Kids ramming opponents into the boards at full speed
- Multiple pile-ups with bodies strewn across the crease
- Spectators cheering as the melee continued unchecked
According to News Of Losangeles‘s reporting of The Athletic’s coverage, no referee, coach or arena staff member stepped onto the ice to stop the fighting for several minutes.
Three Investigations Launched
Jan. 11 – Central Penn Panthers Youth Ice Hockey Club
“We have been made aware of an incident that occurred last night during the ‘Mites on Ice’ event,” the club said. “The safety, well-being, and positive experience of all participants-especially our young players-are of the utmost importance. We are currently conducting an internal review to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
The organization asked families to await findings before “drawing conclusions.”
Jan. 11 – Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association (AAHA)
The governing body labeled the episode a “staged fight” and announced “appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against those players and team officials involved.” AAHA emphasized the scrimmage “was not sanctioned by USA Hockey or the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association.”
Jan. 11 – Hershey Bears (AHL)
The Bears endorsed the youth club’s statement and added:
“What occurred … did not reflect the values of the sport or the standards we expect when young athletes are on the ice. Hockey must always be played within the rules, with safety as the top priority. We cannot support or allow conduct that puts participants at risk. We are reviewing this matter and will work closely with participating teams and partners to ensure clear safeguards, supervision, and expectations are in place for any future youth activities.”
Not the First Mite Melee
Social-media users quickly noted a similar scuffle in December, when another group of mite players exchanged big hits and fights during the same intermission feature. That incident also passed without immediate adult intervention.
Team Context
- The Hershey Bears serve as the Washington Capitals’ AHL affiliate
- Mite-aged exhibitions have been a regular in-game promotion for years
- Saturday’s contest was against the Cleveland Monsters
Key Takeaways
- Multiple oversight gaps allowed a youth scrimmage to spiral into a bench-clearing brawl
- Three separate entities are now investigating responsibility and future safeguards
- Previous mite-level fights had already occurred, raising questions about repeated lapses in supervision protocols
Ethan R. Coleman reported the story for News Of Losangeles.
