Komets

The International Hockey League suspended Komets forward Brad MacMillan for one game today for his match penalty in Sunday's game against Bloomington. Vice President of Hockey Operations Brad Jones ruled MacMillan inadvertently hit Bloomington's Matthew Spiller with Spiller's helmet during a fight.

``That's what I felt was warranted,'' Jones said. ``I didn't think any intent was there, but contact was made with the helmet. Brad is an honest, straight-up fighter, and this was just an unfortunate incident.''

The first is about Colin Chaulk and the work he's doing teaching at McMillen Park Ice Arena. The second, most of which you already know about, is about Brad MacMillan's feelings on his current situation.

I asked Komets General Manager David Franke today if he was concerned about the team's toughness:

``We've got Mac and he's one of the toughest guys in the league. Kaleigh has done a great job when he's had to go. Stayzer has been very willing. He hasn't always been successful, but he's been very willing. I wouldn't mind seeing Bert pick it up a little bit more. It's kind of tough for Mac to fight 6-4, 6-5 guys all the time.

Talked with Brad MacMillan this afternoon and this is how he says the fight with Bloomington's Matt Spiller went down.

``I was around the crease, the goalie gave me a shove and I pushed him back. Spilllers did what any defenseman would do, and I was just looking to give my team some kind of spark so it was like any other fight.

``I got the helmet off, saw my opening and threw a punch, and by the time I realized his helmet was stuck on my hand, I shook it off. I wasn't intending to use it as a weapon, I was just throwing punches. As soon as I saw it, I flipped it off.

Some of the hot topics in professional hockey are featured on this week's edition of Puska on Pucks, The Original Internet Hockey Show. Host Denis J. Puska interviews Cleve Dheensaw, Colonist from the Victoria Times-Colonist, regarding a story he wrote about the rumors surrounding Victoria BC and other western ECHL markets being eyed by the NHL for American Hockey League team locations.

You can read about it here.

I just talked to the IHL's VP of Hockey Operations and he said he'll make an announcement tomorrow. He has seen a tape of the incident and he wants to talk to Al and to Brad MacMillan as part of his research.

A charity bowling tournament to benefit H.O.P.E. for Animals will be held Sunday, Feb. 21 starting at 11 a.m. at Crazy Pinz on Lima Road. The cost is $15 per person. This will be a four-person team tournament, 9-pin no tap using estimated averages. If you do not have a handicap, one will be provided. Prizes will be given to the top three teams with a maximum of 32 teams entered. There will also be a 50/50 drawing. To enter your team, contact Brent McKown at 348-0885 or Scott Silvers at 413-7893.

Over the last five games, the Komets have gotten 12 goals for their skating veterans -- Colin Chaulk, Guy Dupuis, Leo Thomas, P.C. Drouin, Konstantin Shafranov, Kevin Bertram and David Hukalo. They have one from everyone else and that was scored by Matt Syroczynski.

He said the officials said MacMillan took Matthew Spiller's helmet off and then used it to hit Spiller in the head. He said he did not have any comment on the call.

Here's what he did say:

``We came up a little bit short again, but it was a good effort in the third. It was a very poor effort on our behalf overall. We gave pucks away all over the place. They must have had five or six breakaways. If it wasn't for for Bouch it would have been 10-2.''