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KIJHL comes down hard on Leafs, suspends head coach for balance of regular season

Bruce Fuhr
By Bruce Fuhr
January 29th, 2015

As if the Nelson Leafs didn’t have enough bad luck with injuries this hockey campaign, now the Green and White have lost their coach and GM for the remainder of the regular season.

The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League has come down hard on the Heritage City franchise, suspending coach and GM Dave McLellan for the balance of the regular season after Nelson was found to have played an ineligible player for the past nine games.

Nelson also had eight points stripped from the season record, dropping the Leafs into fourth spot in Murdoch Division standings.

McLellan spent his first game on the sidelines as Beaver Valley outlasted the short-staffed Leafs 6-5 Wednesday in KIJHL mid-week action at the NDCC Arena.

Leaf assistant coach Sean Dooley assumed the head coaching duties for the contest.

“He’s didn’t fulfill his job requirements in carding players,” said KIJHL president Bill Ohlhausen when asked about the suspension Wednesday evening by The Nelson Daily.

“Nelson played an ineligible player not registered on the Hockey Canada Registry for the past nine games so the coach has been suspended for the rest of the regular season as a result of that.”

The player not placed or approved on the HDR was forward Michael Rand.

Rand was acquired from Grand Forks for future considerations in December.

He joined Nelson, ironically, playing his first game against his former club Grand Forks.

However, there was a mix up in the carding of Rand on the HCR.

A coach from an opposing team Nelson played this past weekend picked up the mistake and informed the league.

“This is the second time this season the Leafs have been guilty of not doing their paperwork correctly,” Ohlhausen explained.

“Earlier this season Nelson was guilty of using an affiliate player not on the HCR.”

The loss of points dropped Nelson five points behind Spokane Braves in Murdoch standings, and 20 behind the Nitehawks following the Wednesday mid-week clash.

Nelson has one game in hand of the Braves, but with only seven games remaining in the regular season. The Leafs now appear destined to face the defending KIJHL champion, Beaver Valley, in the first round of the playoffs.

However, Nelson proved to be no match for the high-powered Hawks who toyed with the Leafs for most of Wednesday’s game.

Beaver Valley out shot the Leafs 21-5 in the opening frame and kept coming finishing the game with a 43-23 advantage.

Despite facing an arsenal of rubber, Nelson held a 4-3 lead late in the second period before Beaver Valley scored twice in the final four minutes to grab a 5-4 lead after 40 minutes.

A shorthanded tally by Sam Swanson less than two minutes into the third period stood up as the winners sparking Beaver Valley to the win against their divisional rivals.

“It’s the responsibility of the person completing the game sheet to ensure that all players are eligible,” Ohlhausen explained.

“Coaches were given manuals at the beginning of the season to make sure they had the tools to get players onto the HCR correctly.”

Walker Sidoni, Mitch Foyle, Spencer McLean and Lyle Frank also scored for Beaver Valley, winners of two straight games.

Rayce Miller, with a pair, Drew Carter and Darnel St. Pierre replied for Nelson.

Nelson scored twice on the power play while the Hawks has two special teams goals.

Beaver Valley netminder Drake Poirier out dueled Joey Karrer in the Leafs net to register the win.

Nelson returns to action Friday with a pair of weekend home games against Fernie and Grand Forks.

Beaver Valley hosts Spokane Friday at the Hawks Nest.

The two Murdoch rivals complete the regular season schedule against each other Tuesday back in Fruitvale.

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