Video: Dutch hockey brawl involves fans, officials, parents

By Allan Muir

You say you like hockey fights, but just wish there weren't so many players involved? Then you'll love this insane video from a Dutch league game between Eindhoven and Geleen. It has everything: elderly fan brawls, off-ice body slams, a goalie scaling the glass, and a referee trying to get off the ice like it's hot lava but being denied by the rink attendant.

Everything but, you know, actual hockey players fighting each other.

According to eurohockey.com, the zaniness occurred early in the third period of a playoff match when a hard hit on the ice set off some simmering unpleasantness in the stands.

We'll let eurohockey take it from there: "The father of ref Ramon Sterkens and Eindhoven back-up goalkeeper Michael Sterkens was hit ... that set both of them off. Ramon tried to get off the ice to help his father, while Michael climbed up onto the glass."

Yes ... a playoff game featured a referee who was the brother of a player on one of the teams. Kinda makes the Swedes who complained about Canadian officials working the Sochi Olympic final look a little silly, doesn't it?

Anyway, the game was called at the 45-minute mark with Eindhoven holding a 5-1 lead. League officials awarded them the win, but that isn't the end of things. Eindhoven and Geleen will meet again in the final with the Larry van Wieren Cup on the line this weekend.