Chaos Occurs as Hockey Announcer Gets Attacked Mid-Broadcast by a Fan

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated May 27, 2025 5:14 PM ET

The announcer for the Abbotsford Canucks got attacked mid-game and mid-broadcast by a wild fan who threw a chair right at him and nearly caused an injury.

In Game 5 of the AHL Pacific Division Final between the Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver affiliate) and the Colorado Eagles (Colorado affiliate), something bizarre occurred off the ice.

Late in the first period, shortly after Phil Di Giuseppe had given Abbotsford a 2-0 lead, a fan entered the broadcast booth of Canucks announcer Brandon Astle. A loud crash was heard on the broadcast prior to Astle stating that a fan was harassing him.

At the first stoppage, Astle stated that the fan had thrown a chair at him and that he was 'fired up.' The game took place at Blue Arena, the Eagles' home field.

'What was he doing here?' Astle said. 'Unreal. Have another beer.'

Abbotsford proceeded to rout in a 5-0 win, moving on to the Western Conference Final.

Astle took to X after the game to say that he could have handled the situation better, though he also noted that the fan was ultimately removed from the game. He also pointed out that the individual's actions did not reflect the Eagles organization.

The fan is disputing the issue, saying he never did such things

The fan, whose name is 'Ben B' on X, disputed Astle's description of what happened.

He said he was not ejected or throwing a chair and was reacting to Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs allegedly displacing the net intentionally earlier in the period. Controversy aside, Abbotsford's playoff march continues.

They'll face the Texas Stars (Dallas affiliate) in the Western Conference Final with the opportunity to become the first Vancouver affiliate to reach the championship series since the Utica Comets in 2015.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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