Kids' brawl during Hershey Bears intermission goes viral, no supervision in sight

The clip from the intermission game is the kind of thing hockey social media can't resist, tiny gear, big emotions, a crowd reacting like it's a main event. But what makes it stick in your stomach is how fast it turns from chaos to swinging.

I'm not laughing at it, honestly. When kids are throwing punches and dogpiling near the boards, it stops being «cute» and starts being a safety problem that just happens to be filmed well.

The most alarming part is what you don't see, quick adult intervention and clear structure on the ice. Even if supervisors were a few feet off camera, the moment needed a whistle, separation, and a hard reset before it escalated.

At that age, kids don't self-regulate in a pile-up, they mirror the vibe around them. If the message they've absorbed is that rough stuff gets cheers and attention, they'll chase that attention every single time.

As a hockey fan, I love seeing kids get that big-ice moment, I just hate seeing the moment turn into something risky.

This is where adult supervision is not optional, it's the whole job. You can't run an intermission scrimmage like it's a free skate and hope it stays friendly, because one awkward fall into the boards can change a kid's season, or worse.

There's also a culture piece nobody wants to say out loud. Kids copy what they think the sport rewards, and if they've watched enough highlights where the scrum is the «fun part,» they'll try to create one, even if they don't understand the danger.

The fix isn't complicated, it's commitment. Put responsible adults on the ice, set simple rules before the puck drops, and end the shift the second hands start flying, no debate, no letting it «burn off.»

The video will fade, the algorithm always moves on, but the lesson shouldn't. If you're running one of these intermission games, the goal is a lifetime memory, not a viral clip.

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