A recent incident on a seemingly quiet Alberta golf course has brought former NHL player and current minor hockey coach Nick Tarnasky into the spotlight, far from the familiar boards of a hockey rink.
A video circulating online depicts Tarnasky involved in a physical altercation at Alberta Springs Golf Resort, located just outside Red Deer. The confrontation, reportedly sparked by comments regarding the pace of play – a topic notoriously capable of testing golfers` patience – escalated rapidly.
The footage appears to show an argument preceding the physical exchange. After another individual rushes toward him, Tarnasky is seen lifting and subsequently throwing the person into a nearby pond. Following this aquatic interlude, the individual reportedly re-engaged, prompting Tarnasky to respond with a series of punches, vocally punctuating each strike, before a second throw occurred.
Tarnasky, 40, had a career in the National Hockey League between 2005 and 2010, playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers. Known during his playing days for accumulating nearly 300 penalty minutes in 245 games, a golf course dispute over pace of play might strike some as an unusual setting for such physicality, a notable shift from the arenas where such confrontations were part of the job description.
Currently, Tarnasky is involved in minor hockey coaching. Red Deer Minor Hockey recently announced his return as head coach for their U17 AAA North Stars team for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
In response to the video, Red Deer Minor Hockey released a statement acknowledging their awareness of the incident involving a coach. They stated they are conducting an internal investigation. Their statement also indicated they understood the matter was being reviewed by local policing authorities and that they would have no further comments at this time.
However, the local police perspective appears somewhat different. Cpl. Troy Savinkoff, a public information officer with the RCMP in Central Alberta, confirmed that officers from the Blackfalds detachment did receive a third-party report concerning a fight and an intoxicated individual at the golf course. Yet, according to the RCMP, the complainant had departed the scene before police arrived. Critically, Cpl. Savinkoff stated that “Nobody came forward to us alleging an assault or anything like that, and our investigation was concluded.”
This creates a notable divergence between the minor hockey organization`s rationale for limited comment (pending police review) and the RCMP`s declaration that their investigation into the reported incident has concluded due to a lack of formal complaint regarding an assault.
As of reporting, the status of any communication with Alberta Springs Golf Resort regarding the incident remains unclear.
The internal investigation by Red Deer Minor Hockey is expected to address the conduct captured in the video and its implications for Tarnasky`s role with the organization, navigating the unexpected intersection of professional sports history, minor league coaching, and the sometimes-fraught etiquette of the golf course.
