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Sports

Minor League Player Suspended Remainder of Season for Intentionally Firing Puck at Opposing Team's Bench

Jason Price of the SPHL injured a trainer, sparked a big brawl, and his coach got a four-game ban as well.

Even trainers aren't immune from the perils of playing in the Southern Professional Hockey League.

The SPHL (everybody's favourite fourth-tier minor pro league) has suspended Knoxville Ice Bears defenceman Jason Price for the remainder of the 2016-17 regular season and playoffs for deliberately shooting a puck into an opponent's bench and injuring one if its trainers.

During Saturday's game against the Huntsville Havoc, Price picked up the puck behind his net, exited the zone and fired a hard wrist shot across the ice right into the Havoc bench. It was so blatant that Price was assessed a match penalty for the deliberate play and ejected from the game. It also sparked a big brawl, which included several spirited fights, a coach ejection, and even a goalie scrap.

Huntsville's trainer Jason Lopez was injured as a result of the incident, the league said. Knoxville head coach Mike Craigen was suspended four games and fined an undisclosed amount of money in relation to the match penalty received by Price.

It was the last meeting of the season between the two clubs, unfortunately.