Ottawa 67's head coach Jeff Brown apologizes for grabbing player during game
No other discipline required, team owner says
The head coach of the Ottawa 67's has apologized to a player, that player's family and the team for grabbing him during a game in Sarnia, Ont., late last month.
It happened late in the third period during a Sept. 30 match against the Sarnia Sting, which Ottawa lost 7-4.
"... There was a fairly heated, emotional interaction going on between our bench and players on the ice, to the point where we were dangerously close to getting a bench minor [penalty]," explained team owner Jeff Hunt on Tuesday.
"It was players yapping at players, the usual stuff, but Jeff Brown, in trying to deal with the situation, grabbed the player by the jersey to sit him down, to take him out of the situation. And of course, you can't put a hand on a player; not in this league, not in any league.
'He's aware that he crossed the line'
"Jeff knows that, he's aware that he crossed the line and he has subsequently talked to the player and apologized both to the player and the entire team. And he's also talked to, as have I, the family. They weren't happy with the incident, naturally, but they're happy with our response and they just want to move on and so do we."
The player has not been identified.
Our biggest concern was the player and his family and they were fine with the response they got from Jeff Brown. And so we're just moving on.- Jeff Hunt, Ottawa 67's owner
Hunt said he's satisfied with Brown's behaviour after the incident and that no other discipline is required. Representatives of the Ontario Hockey League have conducted interviews with some players as a precaution, Hunt added.
"Our biggest concern was the player and his family and they were fine with the response they got from Jeff Brown. And so we're just moving on. And the league, just as a prudent measure, have come in and they're talking to some of our players just to make sure everything's OK, so they're doing their part as well," he said.
"Our player environment is the most important thing, and we just want to make sure our guys are enjoying their experience in the OHL and with the Ottawa 67's."
Brown is also the father of Logan Brown, a forward chosen by the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.