Mite hockey brawl at AHL game facing multiple investigations
The Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association is looking into what it called a “staged fight.”
There are multiple investigations into a brawl between young hockey players during intermission of an AHL game on Saturday.
The incident occurred during the Hershey Bears’ Mites On Ice intermission segment. Players from the Central Penn Panthers Youth Ice Hockey Club began fighting as Bears and Cleveland Monsters personnel were in the dressing rooms at Giant Center in Hershey, Pa.
Hershey’s mites on ice game went off the rails again. 😂
Team White’s tiny but heavily padded goalie didn’t tend the goal and instead began cleaning house in a huge brawl.
🎥: @lhollenbach515 pic.twitter.com/dBunnD8S36
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) January 11, 2026
The mite players, including goalies, rushed toward one another and traded punches. One player appeared to hit his teammate. No officials attempted to break up the brawl, and the crowd cheered on the youth players.
Mite hockey players are aged 8 and under.
Kids getting AFTER it on the ice in the Hershey Bears intermission game #ElectricFactory pic.twitter.com/DtPjjbK3Vl
— Allie Berube (@allieberube) January 11, 2026
Video taken by fans from inside the arena began to spread on social media Saturday night. The fight was even mentioned on “Hockey Night in Canada.”
In a statement on Sunday, the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association (AAHA) referred to the incident as a “staged fight.”
The AAHA said Sunday in its statement that “appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against those players and team officials involved with the staged fight” after an investigation. The AAHA statement noted that neither it nor USA Hockey sanctioned the Bears’ Mites On Ice Game on Saturday.
In addition to the AAHA’s investigation, the Central Penn youth club pledged an “internal review to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the incident” in a statement posted to its Facebook page. That statement said, “The safety, well-being, and positive experience of all participants — especially our young players — are of the utmost importance.”
The Central Penn Panthers are based in Lancaster, Pa., and were founded in the early 1990s, according to the club’s website. Teams feature players ages 4 to 18 from levels AA, A, and B.
On Sunday, the AHL’s Bears referred to the statement released by the Central Penn youth club at the end of their own statement.
“What occurred during last night’s youth scrimmage involving one team (split into two sides) held during an intermission of a Hershey Bears game did not reflect the values of the sport or the standards we expect when young athletes are on the ice,” the Bears’ statement said. “Hockey must always be played within the rules, with safety as the top priority.
“The Hershey Bears are proud to provide opportunities for young players to experience the game in a professional environment. At the same time, 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 held during our games. Our focus remains on protecting young players and upholding the integrity of the sport.”
At least one other recent Bears’ Mites On Ice game featured a fight.
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) December 21, 2025
The Bears are an AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals, who also feature games between mite-aged players during games. One on Thursday night featured Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin’s son.
Alex Ovechkin wasn’t about to miss his son playing hockey during the intermission 🥹 pic.twitter.com/gymro6RleU
— NHL (@NHL) January 8, 2026