UHL assesses 73 games in sit-outs, $3,100 in fines

February 3, 2001

By Nick Gates, News-Sentinel sportswriter


Savage
United Hockey League Commissioner Richard Brosal called Sunday's
bench-clearing brawl involving the Knoxville Speed and Asheville Smoke the
worst in the league's 10-year history.
"Absolutely and without a doubt," Brosal said Friday after the suspensions
and fines were announced by Mitch Lamoureux, the league's vice president of
hockey operations. "It was an embarrassment."

Lamoureux, who is in charge of player discipline, cracked down on both
teams. The result: 73 games worth of suspensions to the coaches and nine
players - five from Knoxville - and a total of $3,100 in fines.

Speed owner Andrew Wilhelm and his brother Dan, who owns the Smoke, didn't
escape, either.

"They were fined an undisclosed amount ($1,000) because they are responsible
for the actions of their teams," Brosal said.

Tensions reached the boiling point in the 11th game of the regular-season
series between the Southeast Division rivals at the Civic Center in
Asheville.

Alain Savage, Knoxville's leading scorer, received the harshest sanctions.
Savage was suspended for the remainder of the regular season (30 games) and
playoffs for viciously striking Asheville's Bogdan Rudenko in the head with
his stick during the first-period melee.

Fourteen stitches were required to close the wound from the baseball
swing-type blow near Rudenko's temple. The Smoke right winger also sustained
a concussion and has filed an assault complaint with Asheville police
against Savage.

Asheville coach Pat Bingham was suspended seven games and $1,000 for
orchestrating the brawl. Knoxville coach-general manager Terry Ruskowski
will serve a three-game suspension and was fined $500 for allowing players
off the bench to join in.

Six-foot-5 Lee Svangstu, whose weight is listed at 262 pounds, instigated
the free-for-all by slamming Knoxville's Andrew Tortorella to the ice
repeatedly after a faceoff. Tortorella is the league's smallest player (5-5,
155).

Rudenko attacked Savage until Knoxville goalie Brad Guzda interceded. Savage
picked up a stick and lashed at Rudenko, who was tied up by Guzda.

Also feeling the UHL's wrath were Asheville's John Hewitt and Bruce Watson,
who left the penalty box.

Alexandre Alepin, Dean Shmyr, Mike Henderson and Sergei Petrov were
penalized, too. Alepin and Shymr left Knoxville's bench.

The players began serving the suspensions with Thursday's game in Knoxville.
The suspensions only apply to the remaining four regular-season games in the
series. However, Svangstu will have to miss two additional games.

The league came to its decision after reviewing tapes of the incident. The
probe focused on Bingham and Savage.

"He can't send two players out there to send a message," Brosal said,
referring to Asheville's first-year coach. Bingham would have received 10
games, if he hadn't been stripped of his coaching duties in the All-Star
Game and replaced by Ruskowski.

"There was no way I was going to allow him (Bingham) to coach in the
All-Star Game," Brosal said.

Nor did the league condone Savage's behavior, even if he considered his
actions self-defense.

"You can't take matters in your own hands," Brosal said.

Savage won't be allowed to play in another Class AA league this season. The
UHL has reciprocal suspension agreements with the Central, Western
Professional, West Coast and East Coast leagues.

Savage could be reinstated next season. But he must meet with Brosal and
satisfy the commissioner's demands.

Although Brosal indicated the Smoke's part was premeditated, he didn't
absolve the Speed of any guilt.

"They aren't a bunch of choirboys," he said.