The Komets lead the Muskegon Lumberjacks 1-0 after one period, thanks to a Blair Stayzer goal. Ironic, since the Komets' enforcer wasn't on the ice for one of the biggest melees I've ever seen.
I just looked at the video. Here's a timeline:
- Brad MacMillan crashed the Muskegon net, looking for a goal. I didn't see anything wrong with it.
- Muskegon's Tom Galvin comes in and slashes MacMillan's stick harshly, setting off an 11-player melee behind the net, which included goalie Sebastien Centomo for a second or two.
- In the fracas, Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock of Fort Wayne fights a skill player, John DiPace.
- MacMillan celebrates on his way to the penaly box and Centomo mocks him.
- After the goals are sorted out, Muskegon's Robin Big Snake begins having words with Komets star Colin Chaulk. The puck is dropped and Big Snake cross-checks Chaulk from behind, inciting a fight.
- As the players converge, Muskegon's Jason Lawmaster, an enforcer-type, tackles arguably the most gentlemanly player in the IHL, Konstantin Shafranov, and that sets off another melee.
- After that fight ends, MacMillan leaves the penalty box to get at Lawmaster and fight him, throwing a linesman in the process.
- Big Snake pushes another linesman as he doesn't want to go to the penalty box. Eventually, he leaves the box to taunt MacMillan.
- All that came of this were 63 minutes in penalties, including game misconducts for Big Snake, MacMillan and Lawmaster.
- What do I think? MacMillan deserves a 15-to-20 game suspension. Big Snake should get 8-to-11 games. Lawmaster will get targetted by Stayzer when these teams next meet.
- Brad Jones, the IHL's disciplinarian just told me leaving the penalty box carries with it a minimum 10-game suspensions for MacMillan and Big Snake, pending further review, of course.
