The American Hockey League suspended Norfolk Admirals coach Trent Yawney for 10 games Monday, punishment for a 10-minute brawl Saturday at Scope that encompassed both teams and coaches in a game against the Lowell Lock Monsters.
AHL spokesman Jason Chaimovitch said via e-mail that the suspensions of Yawney and Lowell coach Tom Rowe, who received the same punishment, are the longest for coaches in the league since 1994.
Chaimovitch said league records before that time are incomplete. The brawl spun out of control after Yawney and Rowe tried to fight each other on the ice moments after the end of the first period.
“We’re ultimately responsible for our teams so I’ll accept responsibility and pay the price,’’ Yawney said. “The league has a job to do and they chose 10 games and so be it.’’
Also suspended Monday were Lowell players Brantt Myhres and Allan Rourke and Norfolk players Mike Brown and Jim Vandermeer. Myhres got an eight-game ban for leaving the bench to initiate an altercation, Rourke got three games for head-butting Admirals wing Travis Moen, and Brown and Vandermeer were suspended two games each for general misconduct.
Well, it's nice to see that the minor league is at least holding up its end of hockey season.
""We may boo Santa Claus and throw frozen batteries in the end zone, but we don't throw $7 beers. We don't waste those." -Spurs forward and Philadelphia native Malik Rose, speaking on the Pacers-Pistons incident
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