Man who assaulted New Kensington hockey referee gets probation, anger management

A Buffalo Township doctor who attacked a hockey referee during a recreational game in New Kensington earlier this month has accepted an agreement calling for two years’ probation and requiring that he attend anger management counseling sessions.

New Kensington police charged the player, Dr. Jeremy Gregory Gilbert, 43, with assault on a sports official, a first-degree misdemeanor. The incident happened shortly before midnight Oct. 2 after the referee, Mario de Leon, called a holding penalty on Gilbert in a recreational league game at Pittsburgh Ice Arena.

Gilbert did not speak at Thursday’s preliminary hearing before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. He accepted Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD), which was offered by Westmoreland County Assistant District Attorney Katie Ranker because he is a first-time offender.

If he completes anger management and his two-year probationary period without further incident, charges will be dropped and his record will be expunged.

“Mr. Gilbert has been remorseful from the outset,” said Gilbert’s attorney, Christopher Thomas, after the hearing in district court. “This is a gentleman who lives a life of service. He’s helped scores of individuals and has a thriving medical practice.”

Thomas said the hearing was fair and the outcome appropriate, as it will give Gilbert the opportunity to have the charges dismissed.

Gilbert had been working as an emergency room physician at ACMH Hospital in Armstrong County through a contractual agreement with Allegheny Health Network. Following the incident, he was suspended indefinitely without pay while the case was pending. There has been no word yet on whether Gilbert will be reinstated.

Gilbert declined an interview request.

Christopher Thomas, attorney for doctor charged with attacking a hockey ref during an adult league game, said his client is "remorseful." pic.twitter.com/XXqBVx0VkI

— Paul Guggenheimer (@PGuggenheimer) October 29, 2020

The referee, de Leon, called the plea deal a “slap on the wrist.” Still, he said he is not planning to sue.

“He never apologized for what he did,” said de Leon, who added that he didn’t want to see Gilbert lose his job.

Gilbert is banned from Pittsburgh Ice Arena in New Kensington and must immediately leave any other rink when de Leon is officiating, according to the terms of the agreement.

The victim said he was serving as a referee for an adult league ice hockey game when Gilbert and another player collided near the end of the second period. According to de Leon, Gilbert grabbed the other player’s stick and held onto it as he went down to the ice, for which de Leon assessed a penalty for holding.

Video of the incident shows Gilbert approach de Leon and bump into him before pushing him to the ice and punching him, according to police.

Another referee and other players helped to get Gilbert off de Leon. Gilbert was ejected from the game and de Leon suffered a cut to the bridge of his nose.

“Sports by nature involve emotion and passion and sometimes it’s easy to cross that line, and I think that’s what happened in this incident,” Thomas said. “In my estimation the question became, ‘what would be the appropriate consequence and how we can take responsibility?’ I think that question was answered.

“And an offer for ARD was a fair and appropriate offer, which would give my client the ability to earn dismissal of the charge.”