Coaches will try to get any advantage they can, its simply part of coaching. But there are lines that can not be crossed without dire consequences.
The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League has come down hard on the Nelson Leafs franchise, suspending coach and GM Dave McLellan for the balance of the regular season after Nelson was found to have played an ineligible player for the past nine games.
The team also had eight points stripped from the season record, dropping the Leafs into fourth spot in Murdoch Division standings.
This is the Leafs Coach second offense this season, as he was caught earlier in the year using an affiliate player that was not on the Leafs Hockey Canada registry.
According to the KIJHL, there is no defense for this as all coaches are provided operation manuals at the beginning of the season that show them how to ensure a player is properly registered.
Leafs assistant coach Sean Dooley has assumed the head coaching duties on a temporary basis.
Joe Hughes
