You Thought Your Job Was Tough 03.24.85
About the time I think I can’t read, see, find, or hear something crazier than the last, as it pertains to hockey fight history, I stumbled upon this short article from a great hockey fight poster who goes by the name of WHLfan. His knowledge, research, and passion for the hobby of hockey fights, and hockey in general is as good as it gets. I know he has spent countless hours going through old newspapers, microfiche, and libraries for box scores, stories, & hockey fight history, pre-internet. What grabbed my attention at first was the entry of Shane Churla fighting Stu Grimson, twice, in this particular WHL game between the Regina Pats & Medicine Hat Tigers. As you probably know, both guys would play in the NHL for a long time, facing each other many times in the WHL, IHL, & NHL. However, as I dug deeper into the article, I saw this:
From the Regina-Leader Post
WHL linesman hit by dart
The referee and one linesman narrowly escaped serious injury during a Western Hockey League game at the Agridome on Sunday night. Linesman Randy Jaworski of Regina was struck on the arm by a device resembling a blow-dart, while one other dart just missed hitting referee Lance Roberts of Calgary in the back of the head. The missiles were constructed by cutting a cotton swab in half and inserting needles into the open ends of the plastic tube. Heat was used to melt the plastic and provide a seal to keep the pins from falling out.
Jaworski was hit midway through the third period of the game in which the Regina Pats defeated the Medicine Hat Tigers 7-2. The dart stuck in the upper portion of his left arm and play was stopped so he could be treated by Regina trainer Karl Jones.
Roberts, a veteran referee, admitted he was stunned when a second dart whistled past his ear.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of things thrown on the ice – full soft drink cans and stuff like that – but never anything like this.”
Although Regina general manager and head coach Bob Strumm and the game officials know which section of the stands the darts came from, the guilty party or parties were not apprehended. When asked if the club would press charges, Strumm said he wasn’t sure of the legalities involved but added he would probably meet with the club’s lawyers this morning.
Strumm also said that he hadn’t yet decided on whether to contact the Regina City Police.
“Obviously something has to be done,” he said. “For starters, we’re going to alert the Agridome security people and the Agridome staff. We’ll check it out and you can bet (if anyone is caught) we’ll be very firm.”
“But it’s scary to think that there are people out there who would do something like that. It’s a scary prospect that there are people in the stands capable of something like that.”
The Regina Leader-Post Monday March 25, 1985
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Whoa! While we would never condone such reckless, & dangerous behavior, and in no way should we be laughing, part of me has to, strictly based on the notion that someone actually sat at home, and made these things up with the intention of firing them at the officials I can’t imagine what would have happened had the dart hit more susceptible part of the body, like the eye, neck, etc.
We always knew the WHL as the roughest of the three junior leagues, and it wasn’t called the Wild, Wild, West for nothing, but color us shocked to read that some crazy fan actually shot blow darts at the officials. And you thought your job was tough! Yikes!
