A profanity-littered verbal attack on a referee in a Jan. 7 hockey game has led to a three-game suspension of the head coach of the U13 AA Bow Valley Timberwolves and has stirred outrage in the hockey community.

Joel Litt-Jukes has been suspended by the South Central Alberta Hockey League (SCAHL) for gross misconduct after unleashing a loud torrent that echoes through Totem One when a ref called a tripping penalty in the neutral zone in the second period of the SCAHL league game between the Timberwolves and Red Deer Wesco Chiefs in Totem One.

The SCAHL suspended Timberwolves coach Ryan Hilderman for three games for unsportsmanlike conduct towards an official stemming from the same game.

Red Deer went on to win, 11-4.

Corey Oaten, Cochrane Minor Hockey Association (CMHA) president, says they are currently investigating the incident. He issued the following statement just prior to entering a minor hockey board meeting.

“Cochrane Minor Hockey Association (CMHA) is committed to maintaining a respectful and professional environment in all aspects of our sport. We are aware of the recent incident involving a coach's conduct during a game. CMHA is taking this matter seriously and it is currently under review as per our internal procedures.

"We believe in the importance of accountability and learning opportunities. The coach involved has acknowledged their actions and is actively engaged in understanding and rectifying the situation. CMHA is dedicated to ensuring that all members of our community, including players, coaches, and staff, adhere to the highest standards of conduct.”

According to the SCAHL policy, suspended players and coaches are not allowed on the bench, in the timekeeper's box, in the penalty box, or within 50 feet of the players bench during the game.  They are not allowed in the dressing room one-hour before the game and up to one hour after the game but are allowed to participate in practices.  The league encourages both suspended players and coaches to be in attendance at all games they have been suspended from.

You can view the video captured here, but be warned, there's plenty of profanity. By 6:30 p.m. last night, the X (formerly known as Twitter) post of Cody Huseby, of Red Deer, on Jan. 8 had received over 400,000 views. A post of the same video a day early by his twin brother Chad Huseby had been viewed 6,600 times.

The brothers are long-time high-level linesmen who have refereed at the NHL, AHL, WHL, and international level. Cody Huseby was named Hockey Alberta’s Coach of the Month for February 2022.

"This is disgusting behaviour," states Cody Huseby in his post. "Does @newera_develop support this type of behaviour from their employee? What is @HockeyAlberta stance on this?"

New Era Player Development (NEPD) responded, stating Joel has not been with their organization since August 2023.

"Developing young athletes is part of what we do, but developing good people is even more important. Joel's actions do not align with the values of NEPD."

As of yet, Hockey Alberta hasn't responded to the post.

Since the release of the video, several have stepped forward to say the suspension is not long enough and have expressed concern about the negative impact such attacks have on recruiting officials.

"It is my, along with hundreds other officials’ hope, that @hockey.alberta steps in and suspends this coach for much, much longer than that," states one such post. "This type of behaviour, coupled with the lack of adequate discipline, is the reason why the number of officials in this country is declining; and with good reason. Why would a kid want to subject themselves to this type of behaviour from a grown-(explicit) man."

According to the CMHA website, 24-year-old Litt-Jukes is in his fourth year of coaching. Three years of it was at the U21 level and coaching elite spring hockey.