Retaliation results in record suspension; ignites SPHL powderkeg

COLUMBUS, GA – A blatant retaliatory hit during Saturday night’s contest between the Columbus Cottonmouths and the Peoria Rivermen has set off what is becoming a firestorm of controversy in the SPHL.

https://youtu.be/Hi_wUIS04Pw

According to official press releases, Columbus wingman Craig Simchuk was handed a 28-game suspension for his blindside hit on Rank in a game Saturday at Columbus. Columbus head coach Jerome Bechard, a member of the league’s Board of Governors, drew a 6-game suspension.

Rank, who was removed by stretcher from the game and hospitalized, suffered a concussion and has been sent home by the Rivermen. There is no timetable for his return.Video shows Bechard screaming at the Rivermen bench while Rank was still down on the ice. Bechard later mocked officials by waving a white towel from the bench, then walked onto the ice to leave for the locker room. The latter action drew an ejection on a night the Rivermen had 14 power plays to Columbus’ 1 and rolled to a 7-1 drubbing of the Snakes.

Rivermen head coach Jean-Guy Trudel afterward accused Bechard of yelling that he was going to have Rank injured. “Bechard ordered his team to hurt Kyle Rank,” stated Trudel. “He will deny it, but he was yelling from the bench (in the first period) he was going to do it – everyone heard it.”A war of words escalated into this week. Trudel was fined twice by the league for his comments. Bechard accused the Rivermen of deliberate multiple knock-downs of Columbus goaltender Shannon Szabados, something the league in its post-investigation statement did not support.

“The SPHL office has conducted a thorough investigation of the incident,” said Doug Price, Vice-President in charge of disciplinary action in the official release. “It included a review of the game video and personal statements from Craig Simchuk, Jerome Bechard, the four officials who worked the game on Saturday as well as the SPHL officiating supervisor who was in attendance. Regarding perceived events involving the Columbus goaltender (Szabados) that Mr. Simchuk referred to in his statement as a rationale for his actions, the Columbus organization submitted neither a request for review of incident nor a grievance form regarding the officiating in this regard from Friday’s game. In addition, review of the game video on Saturday showed nothing that doesn’t occasionally occur over the course of a professional hockey game involving incidental contact with a goaltender.“

“As it relates to Mr. Simchuk, there is no place in hockey for his actions and deliberately injuring an opposing player will be met with swift and severe punishment,” the SPHL statement continued. “While there was no evidence he instructed Mr. Simchuk’s actions, coach Jerome Bechard bears responsibility for failing to control the actions of his players and contributing to the atmosphere on the bench to the extent Mr. Simchuk felt pressured to do something from the coaching staff. As a member of the league’s Board of Governors, Mr. Bechard has to be held to a higher standard and we feel the unprecedented length of this suspension serves to send that message. Although Mr. Simchuk has expressed remorse for his actions, ultimately he is responsible for his actions regardless of any pressure he felt from the Columbus coaching staff.”

Simchuk’s sidelining is equivalent to half the SPHL’s 56-game regular-season. He is not eligible to return until March 19, when Columbus has nine games left in its season. The final three of those will be at Peoria. Bechard said that he and Simchuk will not appeal the suspensions. “I’m the boss and I’m ultimately judged on how I control my guys,” he stated.

Bechard denied Trudel’s accusations.

“In no way did we mean for this to escalate the way it did, it’s a physical game where emotions can over boil and run high,” Bechard said. “With the severity of the injury, I was expecting a high suspension, just not 28 games. Craig is good player and great person. Emotions were high and he did something he shouldn’t have. He is remorseful and we are glad Kyle is all right.”

PHN photographer Toni Hill was on the scene. “Saturday’s game was ugly and I knew that it would be after Friday’s game,” Hill said. “Peoria ran into Szabados several times. Like Bichard said, if the officials didn’t put a check on it, it was going to be ugly. There nearly was a line brawl after the game on Friday.”

“When Rank didn’t get back up, it was pretty much silence in the arena. I know the fans around me were pretty much like me, worried. And from the look of the players on both teams, they were too. I pretty much put my camera down and said some prayers, especially once the EMTs came out. From what I could see Rank wasn’t moving so I assumed that he was knocked out cold.”

As far as when Jerome started waving the towel, Hill said that was due to the 5 minute penalty on Al Graves for slashing.

“We were all shocked at what happened,” said Hill. “The game just got out of control thanks to the officials letting it get that way. Columbus’ Assistant coach John Birchen said that there were supervisors there for the officials so we will hear more hopefully. I really don’t think that the coach ordered for anyone to be hurt, but Simchuck did deserve to be thrown out of the game.”