CALGARY — The Western Hockey League mentioned that Wenatchee Wild head coach Kevin Constantine has been suspended pending an impartial investigation into alleged violations of league laws and insurance policies.
The league mentioned Constantine was suspended on Sunday and he’s not permitted to have any contact with any member of the group, together with gamers.
The WHL mentioned the suspension got here after its impartial reporting channel acquired a criticism about Constantine’s conduct.
The Wild beforehand operated because the Winnipeg Ice till their relocation to Wenatchee, Wash., for the 2023-24 season.
The WHL mentioned its safety community and Wenatchee Wild administration met with the gamers to deal with the state of affairs and provide assist.
Constantine was beforehand the pinnacle coach for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils.
He has additionally coached outdoors of North America, main South Korea’s Daemyung Killer Whales, Poland’s Unia Oswiecim and Switzerland’s HC Ambri-Piotta.
It’s not the primary time Constantine has discovered himself in hassle with the WHL. He was fined $5,000 US and suspended for 4 video games by the WHL for excessively punishing his gamers after a loss in 2006.
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The Silvertips have been crushed 5-0 by Tri-Metropolis throughout a pre-season event that season and Constantine had the gamers stay of their gear for a post-game meal and the four-hour bus trip again to Everett, Wash.
The league thought that sort of punishment was extreme.
“We imagine that any such disciplinary motion on gamers in our league is unacceptable,” WHL commissioner Ron Robison instructed the Everett Herald. “Now we have a accountability to ensure the surroundings the gamers play in and the self-discipline they obtain shouldn’t be extreme. We felt this went past the conventional degree of acceptable self-discipline.”
