A lot of people don't know this about me, but aside from being a singer, I'm also a hockey fanatic. Why? I'm a hockey sister. My younger brother, Bryan Nguyen currently plays for the North Seera Hockey Club after making a switch from the Brave Raiders Hockey Organization. Of course he still has friends back there and I did mentor some of his former team mates from Braves, who I happen to also be very proud of today. So on Friday November 25th 2011 Bryan asked if we could go see his friends play - that being the Bantam Brave Raiders (NE132) vs. the KC(104) Sabres.
This is just a part of the letter that I wrote to the president of EMHA the following day...without swearing. (Shocker):
"...The entire time I sat watching this game, I noticed how unfair the reffing was. I witnessed headshots, cross-checking, CFB's and spearing from even right under their noses, and yet none of those calls were made against the KC Sabres. Of course when important calls aren't being made some players believe they have all the power in their end and start to abuse it and evidently enough, they start to abuse players from the opposing team.
Approximately ten minutes into the third period, two players from KC simultaneously boarded a Brave Raider's player. He was down, RIGHT IN FRONT of the referee for over ten seconds and still, the ref did not blow the whistle. Instead, he walked over the boy, continued on in the game and skated to the opposite end of the rink. This is when I feel so deeply for the Brave's coach. When the parents were too rowdy in order to grab the referee's attention, the head coach came off from the bench to assist his hurt player. What kind of person orders anyone to just, "remove the kid" from off of the ice when he is clearly hurt and can't move? I'm afraid some of these referees know little, or nothing about spinal cord injuries. In my opinion, anyone who wants to ref any sport should be more well educated on injuries...and well, how to ref, really.
If this infuriated me, I can't imagine how livid any of the parents who are concerned about their child must feel. In this short period of time watching this all unfold, I praise the Raider's coach for his care and concern towards not only the injured, but even standing up for his players as they are still only thirteen/fourteen year old kids... Many of us tend to forget that hockey players are only children. An ambulance was called immediately as this player could not move. The head coach held his injured player's head and wrapped him in blankets; a standard procedure to keep him from going into shock.
As this was all happening, chatter and laughter between the referees of last night's game and the KC Sabres were STILL going on. And to the KC Sabres coach? I'd say teach their players a little more about respect. It's one thing to holler at another player on the ice, it's another thing to be poking fun at one who is injured. I suppose Kyle's death didn't make a strong enough impact on public, did it?
I can't help but say how disappointed at I am at the situation. All I can say is that if some of this poor-quality reffing continues, pray to God that another loss in the hockey community, doesn't happen.
Chantal Nguyen"
Sitting at the Braves/KC game last Friday night, I was completely shocked and disgusted at the reffing, at how rowdy the parents are up in the stands and how the KC coach treated his players and how the players treated one another. Calm down and play hockey. That's what you're there for. I find it really sad that hockey was once a sport in which required a tremendous amount of talent, now turned into one of the most violent sports because of the idiots who think it's hilarious to deliberately hurt someone.
It really hasn't been a great year for the hockey world. We lost three great NHL players, an entire PLANE of professional hockey players, two from Edmonton that had passed away recently (Patrick Steel, Kyle Fundytus) and then SSAC's AA team bus rolls over on highway 16 and sends six people to hospital. This teaches us to cherish life as it is and I can't begin to stress enough to everyone to be appreciative for what you have, and for the people you have in your life. Tell your friends and your family that you love them as often as you can because you never know when you're going to miss the opportunity to even tell them goodbye.
PS The next kid that makes fun of an injured player...or any person, for that matter, I will make sure I punch you unconscious and then maybe you'll get the message...after you wake up. And if you make another smart-ass remark about an injured player, you better make sure I'm not around to hear it. Or else I'll blog about you.
-chantalnguyen
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