Kids being kids or more problematic?

Is this problematic… or just kids being kids? I know I wouldn’t have gotten away with this when I was playing youth hockey!

A wild moment during a “Mites On Ice” intermission at a Hershey, Pennsylvania hockey game is making the rounds after a full-on brawl broke out between two youth players — and then escalated fast.

What started as one kid from each team getting tangled quickly turned into punches being thrown, nearly ten players piling in and even one player swinging at his own teammate! All of this unfolded while fans banged on the glass — and notably, with no referees in sight.

And that’s where the debate really kicks in. Hockey is an emotional, physical sport and kids often mirror what they see at higher levels — NHL scraps included. But when there’s no adult intervention, no officials and a crowd hyping it up, it raises some uncomfortable questions.

Is this just competitive energy spilling over in the most kid-like way possible… or are we failing to teach young athletes where the line is?

Curious where you land on this one.

Check out the video below ⬇️⬇️