Decision handed down

More news has come to light regarding an incident that occurred at Glovertown Gardens following a Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador Steele Hotels Provincial Midget E game between Botwood and Lake Melville on April 6.

Dean Ralph, president of the Glovertown Minor Hockey Association, said he has heard back from HNL after asking them to look into a number of incidents, which, among others, included death threats.

The Warriors were down 3-2 with a minute left in regulation during the game in question. The Warriors scored around the time the buzzer sounded to end the contest. However, the referee signalled time had expired, and no goal was awarded. According to Ralph, some members of the Warriors then got involved in a verbal altercation with the referee, and the frustration carried over to when the teams left the ice.

"Basically, we asked them (HNL) to look into all of the incidents that happened on and off the ice," said Ralph. "The pushing of the referee, surrounding the referee, death threats, the player ripping his jersey and helmet off on the ice, challenging the referee to fight...the rail being torn off (and broke in two), holes in the walls, and mirrors broken."

Ralph said the organizing committee sent its report to HNL following the game between Lake Melville and Botwood because it needed to know if Botwood would be allowed to play its final game of the tournament against the Glovertown Tornadoes. After it didn't hear back, the committee held a meeting prior to the Glovertown/Botwood game on April 7, and decided to ban the Botwood team from the rink because of its behaviour on and off the ice.

In a response sent to Ralph via email on April 15 from HNL president Gerry Evans, a document obtained by The Beacon from the Glovertown Minor Hockey Association, the organizing committee didn't have the right to do that, and because the last game between Botwood and Glovertown didn't take place, no bronze medal was awarded.

"...as per our Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador constitution and provincial tournament procedures, the host committee did not have the authority to disqualify the entire Botwood team from the tournament and by making that decision; we now have a dispute on the awarding of the bronze medal," said Evans in his response. "This was communicated to the tournament co-ordinator immediately following the game in question and the Glovertown Minor Hockey Association ignored this direction."

However, Ralph disputes the claim that HNL got back to the host committee in such a short time frame. He said it never heard from Evans until last week, which is why the host committee felt it had a right to ban the Botwood team from the rink. Ralph said it isn't acceptable to cause damage to a business, so why should it be allowed at Glovertowan Gardens?

"They were banned from the arena based on their actions. As hosts of a tournament, I think we had a right to do that," said Ralph. "I mean, I can't come to your house and tear things up, and you can't come to my bar and break things. If you do, you'll be banned from the bar. You can't go to a NHL rink and carry on with the demeanor they did here without security being there in seconds."

According to Evans' conclusion, HNL, "Does not condone the behavior and/or actions of some of the Botwood players after the conclusion of the game played on April 6 and the lack of control shown by the team coaching staff. In relation to some of that inappropriate conduct, I will be issuing sanctions to some members of the Botwood team."

Craig Tulk, executive director with HNL, confirmed Monday that a Botwood coach received a one-game suspension, and one player was handed a three-game suspension. Both suspensions will kick in at the beginning of next season.

Ralph, who wasn't completely happy with the decision, said they have witnesses who saw what the organizing committee asked HNL to look into.

"We know who did it...we have eyewitnesses," he said. "We pointed the players out and it's in the report who did everything. We have the names and even the jersey numbers."

Now that the incident has been dealt with by HNL, the only thing left to decide is who wins the bronze medal. In consultation with the minor council, Evans said, in his email letter to Ralph, it was decided that a game be played between Botwood and Glovertown in a neutral site to determine the final standings for the tournament, and to declare the bronze medal recipients. As of The Beacon's deadline no decision had been made on the awarding of the tournament's bronze medal by HNL.

Ralph, however, said playing a neutral-site game is not something the Glovertown team is interested in. He said there is no ice at the Glovertown Gardens, and the youth are now focused on future events.

"We have no interest in playing for the bronze medal. I mean, hockey is over for us, it's been over for more than two weeks," he said. "They're focusing on high school graduation now, not hockey. To go to a neutral site in two weeks to play for the bronze isn't something we're interested in doing. That bronze medal doesn't mean anything to us."

Calls and emails to HNL president Evans were not returned as of The Beacon's deadline, while representatives of the Botwood team declined comment when contacted by The Beacon's sister paper, The Advertiser, in Grand Falls-Windsor.

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