KIJHL suspends BV head coach for three games
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The long and the short of last weekend’s Beaver Valley/Trail Smokies bus incident resuts in Kootenay International Junior Hockey League president Bill Ohlhausen handing Hawks’ skipper Terry Jones a three-game suspension and a small $100 fine.
BC Hockey conducted an investigation into the matter but it seems the final decision on discipline was left up to the KIJHL, handing down the suspension.
Jones and his players stood in front of the Trail bus Saturday, January 5 to protest the handling of Ryan Edwards by the Smokies coaching staff.
Edwards left the Smokies in December and was suspended for 30 days by the BCHL club.
Jones thought the suspension should end 30 calendar days after Edwards went onto the inactive list and not from December 6 to January 6.
Wanting Edwards back on the ice to play in two key home games last weekend — Saturday against Kimberley and Sunday versus Revelstoke — Jones went the Smokies coaching office to discuss the matter with Birks before the team was to leave Saturday for a game in Merritt against the Centennials.
Not getting an answer by Birks he wanted, Jones and the players then stood in front of the bus and would not let it leave.
Jones will miss Saturday’s away game in Spokane and Sunday’s home contest versus Grand Forks as well as a home game Friday, January 18 against Spokane.
He is scheduled to return to the Hawks on Saturday, January 19 against Spokane.
Edwards has since joined the Nitehawks.
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