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A B.C. man has been acquitted of aggravated assault and uttering threats over an incident during a beer league hockey game that left another player with serious head injuries.
Michael Morin was charged after he struck Josef Geluch in the face with the blade of his stick with 40 seconds left in an Adult Safe Hockey League game at Burnaby 8 Rinks on June 4, 2024.
Geluch suffered a concussion, severe facial lacerations and multiple broken teeth, and needed subsequent medical and dental work.
The referee testified that the game had quickly gotten out of hand, with a “high degree of animosity” and frequent physical contact and verbal insults.
Prosecutors argued Morin had intentionally hit Geluch in the face in retaliation after terse, verbal exchanges earlier in the penalty-heavy game.
Geluch testified that during the first period, after he received a penalty for hitting Morin from behind, that Morin had told him “I’m going to take your f—ing head off.” Morin denied threatening Geluch.
Morin, however, testified that the contact was accidental.
He told the court that while trying to better position himself for a shot on goal, he lifted his stick in an effort to free it from Geluch’s stick, and that it had popped up, striking Geluch in the face.
In handing down his decision, Provincial Court Judge Gregory Rideout noted that trash talk, “chirping” and aggressive language are a common part of recreational hockey culture.
He noted that Geluch didn’t express any safety concerns or leave the game or report a threat to the referee at the time.
Rideout also ruled that CCTV footage was too unclear and that the game’s referee was too far away from the incident to prove Morin’s stick movement was intentional.