dubbie31
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LOVELAND — The first contest between the Colorado Eagles and Odessa (Texas) Jackalopes on Oct. 7 was such a rowdy caricature of minor league hockey that the Odessa team owner said it looked like a scene out of the cult movie hit "Slapshot."
But Saturday's Central Hockey League tilt between the two teams, however, turned ugly, maybe even criminal.
The Larimer County District Attorney is considering criminal charges stemming from a third-period melee that left observers stunned and Odessa player Dave Van Drunen hospitalized with a broken nose and broken jaw.
"I know they had seven fights in the first two minutes of the third period," said Larimer County Sheriff's spokeswoman Eloise Campanella.
Then came the attack on Van Drunen, a defenseman, who was caught "unaware" by Colorado's Brad MacMillan, according to an account in the Odessa American newspaper.
Former Jackalopes defenseman Mario Joly, now with Colorado, also came off the bench and challenged several Odessa players to fight during the exhibition game. The Eagles' season opens Friday against the Arizona Sundogs.
Van Drunen needed 18 screws and multiple metal plates to repair his face. A YouTube video shows arena workers scraping large pools of blood off the ice.
Jolene Hausman, a spokeswoman for the DA's office, said prosecutors have asked for more time to review material on the case. A decision on the charges may come Friday.
Today, the Central Hockey League suspended MacMillan 22 games for "attempting to injure a player." Colorado defenseman George Bradley will serve a five-game suspension and has been fined an undisclosed amount. Joly has been suspended four games for leaving the players' bench.
Also, the Colorado Eagles organization has been fined an undisclosed amount for the "multiple altercations" at the end of the game, and assistant coach Greg Pankewicz has been been suspended for three games, to be served during the Eagles three regular season visits to Odessa.
The league also fined Odessa for failing to complete the game.
In addition, Odessa head coach Paul Gillis will be suspended for three games and the organization was fined an undisclosed amount of money for public comments and incidents during the game.
The fines will be donated to the Wilbur's Fund for Women With Breast Cancer in Northern Colorado.
Following the Van Drunen-MacMillan incident, Gillis pulled his team from the ice and forfeited the game, which the Jackalopes were winning 3-1. Odessa beat Colorado 7-3 on Oct. 7.
Jackalopes owner Rick Gasser told the Odessa paper that he had filed assault charges against MacMillan on Saturday night and asked for the Eagles' forward to be arrested not once or twice, but three times, but was rebuffed each time.
Gasser also asked the Central Hockey League for a lifetime ban for MacMillan, at least 20 games for for Joly and suspension for Pankewicz, who was behind the bench Saturday night.
"Thursday night when we played them was like 'Slapshot,'" Gasser told the Odessa American. "Saturday night was a horror show. They should be ashamed of themselves."
"We are very disappointed with the actions that took place on Saturday night in Colorado," said CHL commissioner Duane Lewis. "This in no way reflects CHL hockey and we feel the appropriate parties have been held accountable."
Read more: Teams fined, players suspended, criminal charges pondered in preseason hockey brawl - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16338570#ixzz12OL9VFvc
Follow up - I tried to find video of the actual melee, unfortunately I could not track any down yet. I did see video of the ice crew cleaning the blood from the ice.
This is a black eye for the game though and I'm glad that the players were punished accordingly. I do not believe that the coach should be fined for forfeiting the game. I would have pulled my players too.
But Saturday's Central Hockey League tilt between the two teams, however, turned ugly, maybe even criminal.
The Larimer County District Attorney is considering criminal charges stemming from a third-period melee that left observers stunned and Odessa player Dave Van Drunen hospitalized with a broken nose and broken jaw.
"I know they had seven fights in the first two minutes of the third period," said Larimer County Sheriff's spokeswoman Eloise Campanella.
Then came the attack on Van Drunen, a defenseman, who was caught "unaware" by Colorado's Brad MacMillan, according to an account in the Odessa American newspaper.
Former Jackalopes defenseman Mario Joly, now with Colorado, also came off the bench and challenged several Odessa players to fight during the exhibition game. The Eagles' season opens Friday against the Arizona Sundogs.
Van Drunen needed 18 screws and multiple metal plates to repair his face. A YouTube video shows arena workers scraping large pools of blood off the ice.
Jolene Hausman, a spokeswoman for the DA's office, said prosecutors have asked for more time to review material on the case. A decision on the charges may come Friday.
Today, the Central Hockey League suspended MacMillan 22 games for "attempting to injure a player." Colorado defenseman George Bradley will serve a five-game suspension and has been fined an undisclosed amount. Joly has been suspended four games for leaving the players' bench.
Also, the Colorado Eagles organization has been fined an undisclosed amount for the "multiple altercations" at the end of the game, and assistant coach Greg Pankewicz has been been suspended for three games, to be served during the Eagles three regular season visits to Odessa.
The league also fined Odessa for failing to complete the game.
In addition, Odessa head coach Paul Gillis will be suspended for three games and the organization was fined an undisclosed amount of money for public comments and incidents during the game.
The fines will be donated to the Wilbur's Fund for Women With Breast Cancer in Northern Colorado.
Following the Van Drunen-MacMillan incident, Gillis pulled his team from the ice and forfeited the game, which the Jackalopes were winning 3-1. Odessa beat Colorado 7-3 on Oct. 7.
Jackalopes owner Rick Gasser told the Odessa paper that he had filed assault charges against MacMillan on Saturday night and asked for the Eagles' forward to be arrested not once or twice, but three times, but was rebuffed each time.
Gasser also asked the Central Hockey League for a lifetime ban for MacMillan, at least 20 games for for Joly and suspension for Pankewicz, who was behind the bench Saturday night.
"Thursday night when we played them was like 'Slapshot,'" Gasser told the Odessa American. "Saturday night was a horror show. They should be ashamed of themselves."
"We are very disappointed with the actions that took place on Saturday night in Colorado," said CHL commissioner Duane Lewis. "This in no way reflects CHL hockey and we feel the appropriate parties have been held accountable."
Read more: Teams fined, players suspended, criminal charges pondered in preseason hockey brawl - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16338570#ixzz12OL9VFvc
Follow up - I tried to find video of the actual melee, unfortunately I could not track any down yet. I did see video of the ice crew cleaning the blood from the ice.
This is a black eye for the game though and I'm glad that the players were punished accordingly. I do not believe that the coach should be fined for forfeiting the game. I would have pulled my players too.
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