Al Sims said, "I'm not going to say much about it, but obviously, players on the Muskegon bench were told something. I don't know by who, but they went out there and obviously did what someone told them. They did not do that on their own.
"I think it's very tough for Brad and Stayz to stay where they are when your best players who aren't fighters are getting pummeled. I certainly would have loved for him to stay inthe penalty box, but he went out and got retribution for Shaf. I can't fault the guy for wanting to stand up for his teammates. It's a tough call."
What Rich Kromm said when asked if he told his players what to do, "I put that line out, and they have the last change. He (Sims) put those guys out there. We didn't say anything to them. Those guys went out there. I think certain players have different roles on the team, just like MacMillan has a role for them. I put Robinson's line out, he puts MacMillan out there in an offensive zone faceoff. He can say what he wants. I put Big Snake out there with his line, they are turning the rotation, and he comes back with Chaulk. I didn't say anything to Robin about that. Robin was obviously trying to send a message, they are sending messages as well."
Kromm on what started the second altercation: "There was a level of frustration that their players like MacMillan deliberately went after our guys, and stuck the goalie to start it and then went after Tommy Galvin who isn't a fighter. Obviously Big Snake instigated the second fight, and after that, everybody just paired off and MacMillan came out of the box twice. They didn't see it the first time, but everybody in the building saw it but the linesmen and referee don't see it. He floats around free, challenges Lawmaster. What else was Lawmaster supposed to do?"
Robin Big Snake: "When a guy like Bouchard who scores 50 goals a year and is a guy on this team you want to look out for, and MacMillan never comes once to ask me to fight and he goes after Bouchard, obviously he has to know something is coming for one of their players... MacMillan just has to have a little respect. He just has to think next time. I'm not a guy who can tolerate that.
"I wasn't expecting this to happen, but it has to happen to get the respect back. I have a lot of respect for their organization. I know they won last year, and Muskegon was in the finals, so I'm sure it's going to be a battle every time we play each other. Hopefully he thinks about it the next time he wants to go after one of our top players because we have a pretty tough team on this team as it is. I think the tough guys have to fight the tough guys."
Colin Chaulk: "Bouchard said that MacMillan went after him so we're going after you. (He said that) after Big Snake was pounding me. I guess I'm glad I'm compared to a 50-goal scorer, that's pretty cool."
"I have confidence in the league that they will give the necessary suspensions to both sides that protects the players, the integrity of the game and the league. I have confidence that will happen."
