These are a few notes I had saved on my computer, so I thought I'd
post them.

April 11: The American Hockey League today announced that Norfolk
Admirals forward Shawn Thornton has been suspended for two (2)
regular-season games as a result of his actions during Sunday's AHL
game vs. the Philadelphia Phantoms. Shawn fought after the final
buzzer had sounded to end the game. Thornton will miss Norfolk's games
on Wednesday (Apr. 12) and Friday (Apr. 14), both vs. Binghamton.

"He'd rather bring you into his office and talk to you man to man,"
says Shawn Thornton, one of the Admirals' revolving captains. "There's
a lot of communication going back and forth. It's made this year a lot
shorter, I feel."
--speaking about coach Mike Haviland

Article:
Tough guy has led Hershey onslaught
By TRIS WYKES, The Virginian-Pilot © April 25, 2006

The most influential player in the current AHL playoff series between
the Norfolk Admirals and Hershey Bears has no points. At times, he
doesn't even skate a regular shift. But make no mistake, Hershey's
Louis Robitaille has been the match-up's main man thus far.

Fighting and overly chippy play aren't usually highlighted in the
playoffs, but Robitaille has brought such behavior front and center in
the best-of-seven, East Division semifinal series. Hershey leads 3-0
and can eliminate Norfolk with a victory tonight in Game 4 at Giant
Center.

"We felt that when push came to shove in the regular season, they
backed down,' said Admirals coach Mike Haviland, whose team was 7-3
against the Bears before the playoffs and 4-1 against them in
Pennsylvania. "But now, they're playing in-your-face hockey and it's
thrown us for a loop.'

The Bears have made sure scrums follow almost every whistle, with
Robitaille and teammate Boyd Kane slashing at Admirals' calves or
jamming a glove in their faces when the referee's back is turned.

Robitaille enraged Norfolk fans by challenging Admirals captain Shawn
Thornton in Game 2 but then "turtling" by dropping to the ice and
covering his head when Thornton began swinging. Later, as the game
grew increasingly vicious, Norfolk enforcer Mike Brown was ejected for
spearing and the Bears went on to win 5-2.

Hershey trailed 2-0 five minutes into Game 3's second period when
Robitaille made a predictable but successful gambit. The 6-foot-1,
205-pound Montreal native rushed into a scrum late, drawing Thornton
into another confrontation like the previous night's. This one
escalated and earned Norfolk's captain two game misconducts and a
fighting major.

"I knew he was coming after me,' Robitaille, third in the AHL with 334
regular-season penalty minutes, told the Harrisburg Patriot-News. "It
was a key to the game and maybe the series.'

Hershey scored once on the ensuing five-minute power play and again
shortly thereafter. Later in the period, Haviland was slapped with a
bench minor for shouting at linesman Paul Carnathan, handing the Bears
a 5-on-3 advantage for two minutes.

Hershey didn't score on that chance, but Norfolk's momentum had
evaporated and it eventually trailed 4-2 before losing 5-4 in double
overtime.

Haviland didn't defend Thornton's actions and the player was contrite
after Monday's practice. Thornton acknowledged that his "wires
touched' and that he shouldn't have punched Robitaille after knocking
him to the ice, but said most of his anger was directed at referee
Brian Pochmara.

"In nine years in this league, I've never seen a guy drop his gloves
and not get a fighting major,' Thornton said of Robitaille, who
received only a roughing penalty. "I've got to have more control
wearing the C, but there's a fine line to walk, because when a guy
comes in and starts punching my teammates in the head, it's also my
job to protect them.'

Robitaille told reporters he didn't drop his gloves in the Game 3
fracas and that he was surprised the Admirals would allow themselves
to be baited yet again.

"Even our coaching staff told me, 'Hey, they won't come after you,' '
Robitaille said. "I expected nothing from them.'

Haviland is trying to ensure his troops ignore Hershey's antics
tonight. The coach has addressed players individually and as a group,
sending the same message.

"We've let our emotions get the best of us and we need to just go play
hockey,' Haviland said. "I don't want anyone chasing Robitaille around.'

Easier said than done, as Hershey coach Bruce Boudreau well knows.
Manchester's coach the last few years, he watched Robitaille enrage
the Monarchs while skating for division rival Portland.

"Holy geez, everybody on our team wanted to kill him,' Boudreau said.
"They would have gone out of their way to hurt the guy. He's that much
of an agitator. He's always talking.'