Two top-tier players from the Vancouver Giants are facing assault charges in connection with a violent street fight.
Forward Jackson Houck and leading scorer Brett Kulak have both been involved in their fair share of scraps on the ice, but now the pair is taking heat over a brawl that happened in Tsawassen in August.
According to Delta police, Houck, 18, and Kulak, 19, were involved in a street fight outside a small house party on Aug. 18, just a week before the Vancouver Giants’ training camp. The lone victim suffered a broken nose in the scrap.
Both men were later arrested and charged with assault causing bodily harm, Sgt. Sarah Swallow told CTV News. Kulak was also charged with uttering threats.
The Vancouver Giants organization initially declined to comment on the story when approached by CTV News Saturday, but later released a statement defending the character of its two players.
“What we can say is that our players are held to a higher standard and, for the most part, live up to that. Both these players have been, and are, very good citizens and have been good members of our community,” read the statement from Giants owner Ron Toigo.
Toigo wouldn’t disclose whether Houck and Kulak are facing disciplinary action, and both were slated to lace up against the Prince George Cougars at the Pacific Coliseum Saturday night.
Kulak, a defenceman, leads the team with 20 points in the Giants' 20 games, while Houck has scored 8 goals this season, also a team high. Both players are NHL prospects. The Vancouver Giants are a team in the Western Hockey League, a major junior ice hockey league that makes up one-third of the Canadian Hockey League.
Both players are expected back in court in a few weeks.
WIth a report from CTV British Columbia's Scott Roberts
