The Renegades failed to ice a team for a Penney Mazda St. John’s Junior Hockey League semifinal game last weekend at Twin Rinks, a loss which ultimately ousted the Conception Bay South-based club from the junior league playoffs.
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Caps into St. John's junior final as the result of forfeit
CBR appealed its decision to the league executive, and late this week learned their plea was denied.
So now the Renegades will be taking the matter to Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador, and if need be, Hockey Canada.
In the meantime, the junior league’s final between the St. John’s Hickman Automotive Group Caps and Avalon Roebothan, McKay, Marshall Capitals opens 8 o’clock tonight at the Goulds Arena.
With St. John’s leading CBR 3-0 in the best-of-seven semifinal, the Renegades didn’t show for last Saturday’s Game 4, giving the Caps a free pass to the final.
According to Renegades team president Roger Powell, he alerted the league last Friday CBR would not be at Twin Rinks, past the 72 hours notification the league requires.
It was for that reason, that CBR did not give enough advance notice, the appeal was denied.
Powell says the reason for the Renegades decision not to play involves one particular unruly St. John’s Caps supporter, and a fear for player safety.
The Renegades president says the person is known to the league for his sometimes loud, obnoxious and unruly behaviour.
“He’s very loud and vocal and sometimes vulgar,” Powell said. “It’s not a one-time thing. It’s been going on for years.”
The CBR president said, “things got out of control” in Game 1 of the series Saturday, March 11 at the Robert French Memorial Stadium in C.B.S.
“A parent of a (CBR) player told one of our executive members she had to leave because her nine-year-old was scared and crying because of the way this guy was getting on,” he said. “A decision was made to ban him from our rink.”
It’s not the first arena from which the person has been prohibited from entering. According to Powell, the person in question is not allowed entry at the Jack Byrne Arena, Mount Pearl Glacier and Southern Shore Arena.
On Wednesday, March 11, the person was sent a registered letter from league president George Bursell notifying him he is not welcomed at any further junior league games or practises.
“All of our arenas and teams,” Bursell wrote in the letter obtained by The Telegram, “have been advised that you are not permitted to enter the buildings at any time that any of our teams play or practise while in progress from now on.”
Bursell also noted in the letter, “a number of complaints have been brought to the league over the last couple of years about your verbal comments and actions you have made to players, team officials and fans.”
“He has refused to respect the letter,” Powell said. “The Caps and Twin Rinks (home arena for the St. John’s club) refused to do anything, and the league has not enforced the ban.
“The facts speak for themselves. He has been banned from rinks, and the league recognizes there is an issue given the fact a letter was sent out. There’s an obvious problem, but nothing is being done.
“We informed the league that because of his history, his actions at our previous games, and indirect threats to our vehicles parked at Twin Rinks, it was unsafe for our players and fans to go to the arena,” Powell said.
“We didn’t feel it was a safe environment for our players and fans. We suggested we play elsewhere, or add security staff, but again, nothing was done.
“So in the end I felt it was best to pick safety over playing a hockey game. We would make the same decision again if faced with the same scenario.”
Powell says the Renegades are pressing the matter by going to HNL and/or Hockey Canada on principal alone.
“It’s too bad our graduating players had to finish the year like this,” he said. “In the end, if we win, we still lose.”
Bursell was unavailable for comment.