Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz issued the following statement in regard to player violence in Sunday night’s Erie Community College hockey game:

Poloncarz statement: “On behalf of the people of Erie County I apologize to the referee who was attacked near the end of the game last night and extend sincere wishes for a speedy recovery from any injuries he may have suffered. I have played hockey my whole life, and as Erie County Executive and a USA Hockey youth coach myself I cannot stress strongly enough how totally unacceptable the actions of the ECC hockey player were. Violence is never the answer in life or in hockey, and this young man’s thoughtless actions not only endangered the life of the referee but also irrevocably altered his own future. That future now involves law enforcement. In sports, we must always have respect for ourselves, for the opposition, and for the referees and the game itself. That respect was breached last night, and as we hope for a quick recovery for the injured referee we should also pause and reflect on what lessons we are teaching our children.”