Martin Tremblay, a youth hockey coach in British Columbia, has been sentenced to 15 days in prison for tripping a 13-year old opponent during his team’s post-game handshake exchange.
The incident (below) took place in July, with one of the two victims who fell to the ace actually breaking his wrist upon impact.
In November, the 48-year old coach pleaded guilty to one count of assault, with his attorney saying Tremblay was not taking his anti-depressant medication when the tripping took place.
“He’s rebuilding his life after this incident,” the coach’s lawyer told the assembled press after Tremblay was sentenced. “It’s horrible. He put in years and years coaching hockey, he put in years and years as a scout master. And that’s all over… because of one incident when he was off his antidepressants for three weeks.”
But Judge Patrick Chen was clearly unmoved, explaining in court today that Tremblay had abused the trust of the public and that the action was akin to “a cowardly sucker punch.”
He will serve his sentence over intermittent weekends.