Ice Wars is putting on a pay-per-view hockey fighting event, and a Maple Ridge man is going to be chucking the knuckles with the meanest goons the promoters can find.

Daniel Amesbury got his start as a Ridge Meadows Flames Junior B enforcer, then took his skills to semi-pro hockey 鈥� playing on teams with monikers like the 鈥淐ottonmouths鈥� and 鈥淐utthroats鈥� to live up to.

He also had a notorious stint the Maple Ridge Burrards lacrosse team, on one of the WLA鈥檚 tougher teams of recent years.

FITE and Hockey Enforcers USA, a live sporting events and production company, got an agreement to stream Ice Wars International鈥檚 first event via pay-per-view. Ice Wars is a new combat sport that can best be described as prize fighting on ice. It鈥檚 about 鈥渢aking an age-old part of the game many fans love and making it the main event,鈥� is how the promoters bill it. Ice Wars鈥� first event will be an eight-man King of the Rink tournament, broadcast live from River Cree Casino in Edmonton, on FITE on May 21.

The top prize will be $15,000.

Amesbury was once known locally as one of the 352 people charged in connection with the 2010 Stanley Cup Riot in Vancouver.

鈥淪ince then I鈥檝e turned my life around,鈥� said the 31-year-old, who is now the father of a young family.

He has three kids, all under five, and a wife who understands his desire to excel at this controversial side of the national game.

鈥淚鈥檓 lucky 鈥� she鈥檚 very supportive,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 worried, of course.鈥�

He pledged that if he wins the championship prize of $15,000 he will donate funds back to a community cause.

鈥淚鈥檓 doing this 100 per cent out of my heart. My focus now is helping people, and my quality of life has increased,鈥� said Amesbury.

鈥淚 want to give back.鈥�

He first gained local notoriety with his hometown Flames. He had four goals and 226 penalty minutes in 44 games as a fresh-faced rookie in 2008-2009. The next season, he went full-blown shift disturber. Amesbury brought back memories of the bad old 鈥淛ungle B Hockey鈥� days, as he posted a whopping 368 penalty minutes. Notably, he also scored a legit 28 points in 45 games. The next season, he set a Pacific Junior Hockey League league record 413 penalty minutes playing with the Abbotsford Pilots.

Amesbury鈥檚 semi-pro career saw him skate with the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League, and the Tulsa Oilers and Denver Cutthroats of the Central Hockey League, over three seasons ending in 2013-2014.

Amesbury can鈥檛 say he鈥檚 won all his bouts 鈥� nobody who has enough does, he says.

鈥淏ut I鈥檝e got all my teeth 鈥� I鈥檓 pretty proud of that.鈥�

That鈥檒l be put to the test in Edmonton.

A traditional hockey fight is long if it lasts 20 seconds. Ice Wars will see the combatants square off for for two one-minute rounds.

鈥淎 minute is going to be wild,鈥� said Amesbury.

He鈥檒l have three fights in an evening.

Amesbury has been working hard on his conditioning, boxing every day, and plans to come into the event a fit 225 pounds, at six feet tall. He says he鈥檚 still in his prime as an athlete.

The combatants will be in full gear, on skates, wearing MMA gloves. They will have helmets, for protection in falls, but no visors.

The first Battle of the Hockey Enforcers event was staged in B.C. in 2006. Now, the event鈥檚 original organizer, Charlie Nama, has partnered with Ice Wars International head A.J. Galante to produce the first televised Ice Wars.

Galante, a boxing manager and promoter, is the former manager of the Danbury Trashers hockey team, which was chronicled in a recent Netflix documentary, Untold: Crimes and Penalties.

鈥淚ce Wars will not just be one and done,鈥� said Galante. 鈥淲e鈥檙e creating a new combat sport. We are willing to take risks and try innovative ideas, and we will be listening to fans on what鈥檚 most important to them. We are a sport, but more importantly, we are entertainment.鈥�

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