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Town supports 8-year-old after hockey ban
Updated Thu. Mar. 29 2007 8:20 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Seven other teams have dropped out of a Quebec tournament in support of an eight-year-old boy who was banned from the tournament for being too large.
Jared Murray, grand-nephew of Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray, is a four-foot-nine, 110-pound Grade 3 student registered as a novice B player with the Shawville Blackhawks.
His team was 11-3-2 during the season, finishing fourth in the standings, and Murray recorded a staggering 51 goals in 17 games.
But Hockey Outaouais officials have ruled that he is ineligible to play in the regional playdown tournament because of his size and strength.
"They said that, basically, he was too strong to play with his team," Blackhawk's head coach Dan Duggan told Canada AM on Thursday. "I can't understand how they could say that the team was too strong as they finished fourth out of 20 teams."
In a show of support, the entire Shawville, Que. association has pulled its seven other teams and about 130 players from the tournament.
Even local officials say Hockey Outaouais has gone too far.
"They want the Shawville Minor Hockey Association to be participants, but they don't want them to be good enough," Mayor Albert Armstrong told CTV News.
Murray says he's disappointed he can't play in the tournament.
"I think it was dumb because all the other teams got to go and then we don't get to go because we're too strong," he told CTV News.
Duggan said reports in the media that the association was asked to move the team up to novice A are false.
On Wednesday, Murray's grand-uncle criticized the decision.
The Senators' coach said not one should be discriminated against because of their size.
"You make a choice at eight years of age to play in your hometown with your friends and you can't go to the tournament and everyone has to pull out to support you, that's pretty sad," Murray told CTV News.
With a report from CTV Ottawa
Updated Thu. Mar. 29 2007 8:20 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Seven other teams have dropped out of a Quebec tournament in support of an eight-year-old boy who was banned from the tournament for being too large.
Jared Murray, grand-nephew of Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray, is a four-foot-nine, 110-pound Grade 3 student registered as a novice B player with the Shawville Blackhawks.
His team was 11-3-2 during the season, finishing fourth in the standings, and Murray recorded a staggering 51 goals in 17 games.
But Hockey Outaouais officials have ruled that he is ineligible to play in the regional playdown tournament because of his size and strength.
"They said that, basically, he was too strong to play with his team," Blackhawk's head coach Dan Duggan told Canada AM on Thursday. "I can't understand how they could say that the team was too strong as they finished fourth out of 20 teams."
In a show of support, the entire Shawville, Que. association has pulled its seven other teams and about 130 players from the tournament.
Even local officials say Hockey Outaouais has gone too far.
"They want the Shawville Minor Hockey Association to be participants, but they don't want them to be good enough," Mayor Albert Armstrong told CTV News.
Murray says he's disappointed he can't play in the tournament.
"I think it was dumb because all the other teams got to go and then we don't get to go because we're too strong," he told CTV News.
Duggan said reports in the media that the association was asked to move the team up to novice A are false.
On Wednesday, Murray's grand-uncle criticized the decision.
The Senators' coach said not one should be discriminated against because of their size.
"You make a choice at eight years of age to play in your hometown with your friends and you can't go to the tournament and everyone has to pull out to support you, that's pretty sad," Murray told CTV News.
With a report from CTV Ottawa
