Hockey Manitoba has suspended three teenage players after a bantam game turned violent last month in Stonewall.
A player who shot a puck at a referee has been banned from all Hockey Manitoba events until January 2015. Another player has been suspended until September 2015 for throwing punches at referees. A third player is also suspended until December of this year.
Doug Zeller, referee coordinator for the Interlake Minor Hockey Association, thinks the players should be suspended for at least a full year.
“It should have been a harsher suspension,” said Zeller. “It’s too lenient as far as we’re concerned. What does it take before they start clamping down?”
The Stonewall Blues were hosting the Lake Manitoba Eagles in a championship game when the match got out of hand.
All three suspended players are from the Lake Manitoba team. The players can appeal the decision.
Hockey Manitoba said referees involved in the situation can also appeal the decision.
Some referees have threatened to boycott games by the Lake Manitoba Eagles.
The team's coach told CTV News he's angry about the referees' threat to boycott games, but isn't sure what he can do about it.
