From a young age, hockey players are taught to respect each other by avoiding dangerous plays that may cause severe injury. To reinforce this, Hockey Canada has even added stop signs on the back of youth uniforms as a reminder to players not to deliver hits.
However, Kurtis Labant of the St. Paul Canadiens, a Junior B player, did not heed this warning. During a defensive attempt, Labant dangerously shoved Joel Webb, causing Webb to fall to the ice with his head and neck driven hard into the boards, knocking him unconscious. In his own words, Webb stated that he had been sitting in a dark room since the incident and had not left his house. Labant, a repeat offender, received only a 3-4 game suspension for the hit.
Webb expressed his disappointment in the minimal repercussions, noting that players receive more severe punishments for using bad language. He urged HockeyAlberta to take action against such behavior, as it puts everyone on the ice in danger. This was not Labant's first infraction; he had previously received a three-game suspension.
