A verbal dispute between a minor hockey coach and a referee began on the ice, spilled into the parking lot and is now playing out in a Manitoba courtroom, with the coach claiming he was unjustly handed a lifetime ban.
Former assistant coach David Brown is seeking a judicial review against Hockey Manitoba, requesting a provincial judge examine the administrative body to ensure its appeal processes are fair, reasonable and lawful.
Brown claims the organization unfairly upheld a St. Vital Minor Hockey Association decision to permanently ban him from coaching after a post-game dispute with a referee last year.
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Video released in court shows officials speaking to coaches and players on the St. Vital Bruins bench during a playoff game in March 2023.
Brown attempted to appeal the decision with the association and Hockey Winnipeg before bringing it to Hockey Manitoba, which acts as the provincial governing body for amateur hockey.
“I believe that the sport of hockey has a cultural problem that is bigger than any of the participants here,” Brown wrote in a legal motion, filed in the Court of King’s Bench in January.
“I have recognized the behaviours that I am accountable for and I have taken ownership of them. However, I have been disciplined for them unfairly while other members of the sport and the sport’s governing bodies have not been held to the same account.”
According to court documents, Brown was an assistant coach for the under-18 St. Vital Bruins during a playoff game in March 2023 when he began to argue with official Ryan Sutherland, who was referee-in-chief for the St. Boniface Minor Hockey Association.
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Court video shows minor hockey coach David Brown in the parking lot of the St. Vital Centennial Arena as filmed by referee Ryan Sutherland.
While the men have differing accounts of the incident, they both agree the argument began on the ice and ended in a shouting match in the parking lot of the St. Vital Centennial Arena.
Brown alleged the disagreement was sparked when a linesman began “verbally abusing” players on his team, including Brown’s teenage son, who was an assistant captain for the Bruins. He claimed it was the second game in which officials working under Sutherland, and Sutherland himself, “abused their power toward minors and to me.”
According to Brown’s affidavit, he had already asked league administrators to review Sutherland’s behaviour from a previous game and did not believe Sutherland should be allowed to referee due to the pending complaint.
“I lost my temper at seeing this repeated conduct and I verbally abused Mr. Sutherland and swore. He penalized me and removed me from the game, while encouraging me to continue, saying ‘Keep going, coach.’ I left the bench and I was very upset,” Brown wrote in an affidavit.
Brown’s son was also subsequently ejected from the game.
Sutherland alleged players had to restrain Brown from coming onto the ice to confront him during the argument.
“(Brown) yelled and swore at the referee in the presence of the players. The referee also alleged that (Brown) threatened him by saying ‘I will f—-ing end you,’” a lawyer representing Hockey Manitoba wrote in an affidavit, describing Sutherland’s account of the incident.
Brown said he was later waiting in his car in the arena parking lot when Sutherland exited the building, “smiled in my direction and seemed to say something to me.”
“I got out of my car and said ‘You feel happy about that bulls—-?’ or something to that effect,” Brown said. “Mr. Sutherland motioned me to come forward … I unfortunately obliged.”
Sutherland alleged he got into his truck and locked the doors as Brown started to yell and bang on his window.
Brown said there were never any threats or physical contact between them during the altercation.
Evidence submitted to the court included a brief video clip recorded by Sutherland in which both men accuse each other of being the aggressor.
They each immediately reported their versions of the incident to minor hockey administrators — sparking a months-long investigation that ended in October 2023, when the St. Vital Minor Hockey Association disciplined Brown with a lifetime coaching ban.
Sutherland continues to referee minor hockey.
Brown appealed the decision to Hockey Winnipeg, and later, Hockey Manitoba. Both organizations upheld the decision.
“This was a unanimous decision as the committee felt that your actions were inappropriate and that this punishment is fitting of the circumstances,” Hockey Winnipeg executive director Ian McArton wrote in a letter to Brown.
Along with his request for a judicial review, Brown filed a lawsuit against St. Vital Minor Hockey Association, Hockey Winnipeg and Hockey Manitoba seeking $807.50 plus additional damages to cover the cost of his appeal fees.
In the statement of claim, Brown said many steps of the discipline process were skipped or ignored, including aspects of his appeal. He also claims there were conflicts of interest between the administrators who rendered the decision against him — accusing them of engaging in “backroom” discussions with Sutherland.
Brown believes he was not provided the due process owed to him throughout the appeal process.
His statement of claim and request for a judicial review are ongoing. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Hockey Manitoba has asked for the court to dismiss the request, saying it handled Brown’s appeal without bias and there is no legal basis for a judicial review.
The St. Vital Minor Hockey Association, Hockey Winnipeg and Hockey Manitoba all declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Brown, who is representing himself in court, did not respond to requests for comment.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
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