Minor League Hockey Coach Protests Call By Littering Ice With Equipment

For one week, the Louisiana IceGators of the Southern Professional Hockey League were in the news and it was all the result of a meltdown by interim head coach and general manager Brent Sapergia during a 5-4 loss to the Pensacola Ice Flyers on Nov. 6.

Late in the first period, with his team down a pair of goals, Sapergia was riled up over a penalty call against his team and decided the best way to protest would be to throw everything he could get his hands on behind the bench, on the ice.

Water bottles, water coolers, hockey sticks, tape ... it's all there. As you might expect, he was ejected (for the second straight game) for his outburst. Sapergia explained his actions to Greg Wyshynski at Yahoo! sports Puck Daddy blog:

Sapergia feels his actions were justified. The previous night against Pensacola, Sapergia said, he saw two players cut for 20 stitches without any penalties called. Last Friday, the penalties were already 7-2 in favor of the Floridian team in the first period when Sapergia said he saw one of his players take two crosschecks to the head -- one of them when he was without a helmet. The coach demanded a power play from the official, who instead issued a penalty to the IceGators. "At that point I felt our players weren't being protected. Something needed to be done," he said.

The league suspended Sapergia for an "indefinite period of time," and he has since found a new, full-time head coach by hiring John Gibson, who had previously worked for the Huntsville Havoc.

This, of course, brings back memories of former New Jersey Devils head coach, Robbie Ftorek, who threw a bench on the ice against the Detroit Red Wings back in January, 2000.

And as long as we're on the subject of minor league coaches losing their minds, you can never see enough of Phillip Wellman of the Mississippi Braves and his epic meltdown during the summer of 2007.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

11-13-2009 @ 6:37AM

sherich604 said...

A minor league coach was thrown out of a game for throwing things? How about when a travel team coach for 9 and 10 yr. old boys throws water bottles at a time clock? This happened recently in Ohio. He didn't get thrown out of the game! What is that teaching those kids! To me, that is more of a story than the minor league guys who should already know better!!!!!!

11-13-2009 @ 11:48AM

teresab said...

In our hometowm hockey association, if a coach was to ask like that, his coaching card is pulled and he doesn't coach anymore. It's all about the kids, not an out of control coach! There is no excuse for acting like that in a youth organization.

11-13-2009 @ 12:05PM

Sedona Nightshadow said...

It's called anger management, or lack thereof.

11-13-2009 @ 6:56AM

leolux10 said...

That baseball clip was CLASSIC!!!! LMFAOOOO That dude totally MUTILATED that field!!! Boooy, was HE tweakin' off something.....STRONG!!!! Haha!!! VERY funny. Thanks. HAHA!!!

11-13-2009 @ 7:31AM

MBIGGYD said...

PMS

11-13-2009 @ 11:07AM

lrjam2 said...

Pissed Maniac Symdrome

11-13-2009 @ 7:33AM

PMS, maybe?

11-13-2009 @ 8:06AM

Wayne said...

The guy's a throwback to when hockey used to be a good game to watch. I would love to see a National Hockey League coach throw Gary Bettman's disembodied head in the ring.

11-13-2009 @ 8:28AM

boswoman1 said...

That would be the highlight of my day, week, month, Year!

11-13-2009 @ 8:19AM

WOODY YOU DOG!!! said...

BILLY MARTIN WAS THE BEST !!!!

11-13-2009 @ 8:44AM

mamafox said...

Before that coach left the ice he should have been made to pick up all the junk he threw onto it. If he acts like a beligerant child the punishment should fit the crime. Of course he would protest this disciplinary action but at the cost of a game being awarded to the opposition he wouldn't have a job for long if he did not clean up.

11-13-2009 @ 8:49AM

FCalcara said...

Great example of sportsmanship! They really should dismiss these coaches from the game to make an example for the future of the sport. I have been in athletic and also coached and never needed to be a total ASS in front of the team - an I had a winning team. I understand the competition is great but some coaches need a "Chill pill" so as to eleviate the pig-headed sense of RIGHTIOUSNESS they unfortunately display!

11-13-2009 @ 8:57AM

mongoose65 said...

Great job. He didn't seem crazed or looking to attack the ref. He was making a statement and protecting his players. The headhunting gets out of hand sometimes in hockey and some refs are just awful. It takes alot to ref a tough hockey game. There is alot of ebb and flow and a good ref knows when to let them "play on" and when to start calling penalties and how to call them accurately. If they don't, players will take matters into their own hands and things get ugly and out of control. This GM/coach made his point and walked off calmly. It was funny to see his players scrambling to get out of his way on the bench and trying to keep straight faces!

11-13-2009 @ 9:15AM

blkbltwife said...

OKG The one of the baseball coach acting crazy was hilarious!!! SSSOOO Funny!!!

11-13-2009 @ 9:21AM

RICO said...

Kharma is a b*tch. In the 90's while still in the ECHL, Louisiana was natorious for their instigating fight calls and brawls, and getting the non calls while other teams got penalized. Glad to see them getting what they deserve.

11-13-2009 @ 9:24AM

kbhret said...

WAY TOO MUCH TESTOSTERONE

11-13-2009 @ 9:42AM

the jake said...

some great examples for our young athletes. i am sure they must be proud of there actions. what a bunch of a....holes

11-13-2009 @ 10:28AM

jerryu2 said...

after watching the taped games ( i love hockey) i would have probly done more than throw things when the coach stated that they crossed checked a player woth no helmet that clearly is a safety concern.. if anybody should get suspended it should be this crew of referee's as they clearly weren't looking our for the game of hockey or the players safety.... the integrity of sports relies on all people involvednot just the players and coaches... they are supposed to be impartial but there was clearly no imaprtial here... never do i condone a coaches rant but this time i do since it happened 2 nights in a roll