A mix of a thrown stick and thrown punches have given a senior hockey participant in Newfoundland a three-game suspension and an indefinite ban from considered one of his league’s six arenas.
Defenceman Justin Pender, who performs with the Clarenville Caribous of the Avalon East Senior Hockey League, is going through self-discipline after he threw a damaged stick in direction of a taunting fan in an area hallway, then walked down that hallway and punched the person a number of instances.
The incident was captured on safety video and shared broadly on Fb.
Within the video, considered one of Pender’s teammates comes working down the corridor after Pender, adopted by Ivan Hapgood, the overall supervisor of the Caribous.
“I will make it clear to you. I do not condone, in any approach in any respect, the actions of Justin Pender in that incident,” Hapgood informed CTV Information on Wednesday. “I do not condone it in any approach, and he and I’ve actually had a prolonged dialog about it since.”
The incident was preceded by a tough third interval, the place the Caribous trailed the HGOE CeeBee Stars in Harbour Grace throughout a lopsided recreation.
A hefty 122 penalty minutes had been handed out within the third interval, together with 12 to Pender who was given a penalty for slashing and a misconduct.
Pender was ejected from the sport, however as an alternative of strolling on to his group’s dressing room he engaged with a bunch of 4 spectators who had been taunting him within the hallway.
“All of it goes again to 1 factor: If safety was there, none of it could have occurred,” Hapgood stated.
He stated each the followers and the participant should not have performed what they did — however defined he believes the sector ought to have had a greater safety presence to cease followers from getting so near a participant who had simply been ejected.
For the reason that incident on Oct. 26, modifications have been made for senior males’s hockey video games in Harbour Grace. Mayor Don Coombs stated his city council and the CeeBees labored collectively to make sure there will probably be safety employees within the area — there have been none on the night time of the incident.
Coombs stated his city council handed down a ban of a “few weeks” to the taunting fan, and an indefinite ban to Pender. He stated he expects city council to assessment the ban and sure rescind it in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later.
“Thankfully, no person’s significantly harm,” Coombs stated. “However we won’t have it occurring once more, you realize, issues being thrown and punches being punched and thrown. That is not acceptable.”
Pender declined to remark when approached by CTV Information. Hapgood says the participant is aware of he made a mistake.
Pender hung out within the ECHL, previously referred to as the East Coast Hockey League, and the QMJHL or Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League earlier than returning to Newfoundland to play aggressive, novice sports activities.
“Like loads of gamers do … he does play the sport on the sting,” Hapgood stated. “However hear. He is a superb defenceman, he was one of many high defencemen in our league final yr.”
“Should you had been in Clarenville subsequent Saturday night time when he places on the gear — if there’s 10 children that come down from upstairs with their dad and mom searching for autographs, searching for footage, 9 out of the ten need Pender, he is that in style.”
The incident occurred on the Danny Cleary Neighborhood Centre in Harbour Grace. Pender will miss his group’s subsequent scheduled recreation there — due to his three-game suspension — and will probably return this season provided that the 2 groups meet for a playoff matchup.
