An incident on an Alberta golf course involving former National Hockey League player Nick Tarnasky has prompted an internal review by his current employer, Red Deer Minor Hockey.
The altercation, which reportedly took place recently at Alberta Springs Golf Resort just outside Red Deer, gained attention after a video began circulating online. The footage appears to show Tarnasky engaged in a heated exchange with another individual.
According to dialogue captured in the video, the dispute seemingly escalated from comments regarding the pace of play on the course. The situation turned physical when the other man appears to rush towards Tarnasky.
In response, the former NHL forward is seen lifting the individual and throwing him into a nearby water hazard. After the man recovers and re-engages, Tarnasky is depicted delivering a series of punches, notably punctuating each strike with the exclamation “bang,” before again throwing the man.
Tarnasky, 40, had a professional hockey career spanning several seasons, playing 245 NHL games between 2005 and 2010 for teams including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers. Known during his playing days for a physical style, he accumulated close to 300 penalty minutes in the league before continuing his career in the American Hockey League and later transitioning into coaching.
He is currently involved with Red Deer Minor Hockey, which had recently announced his return as the head coach for the U17 AAA North Stars team for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Responding to the video, Red Deer Minor Hockey issued a statement acknowledging awareness of the incident. “We are aware of a video circulating on social media involving a coach with Red Deer Minor Hockey,” the organization stated. Citing that the matter is reportedly under review by local policing authorities and confirming their own internal investigation, the organization stated they would have no further comment at this time.
However, a contrasting position has emerged from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). According to Cpl. Troy Savinkoff, a public information officer for the RCMP in Central Alberta, the force is currently *not* investigating the incident.
Savinkoff confirmed that officers from the Blackfalds detachment did receive a third-party report about a fight and an intoxicated individual at the golf course. However, the person who initiated the report had left the scene before officers arrived. Crucially, Savinkoff noted that “Nobody came forward to us alleging an assault or anything like that,” resulting in their investigation being concluded from a police standpoint.
Attempts to obtain a comment from Alberta Springs Golf Resort regarding the incident have also been reported.
The peculiar blend of hockey physicality and golf etiquette, captured on video and leading to differing official responses, leaves the full implications of the `pace of play` dispute yet to unfold via the internal minor hockey investigation.
Tristan Blackwood