The CHSHL is sticking it to St. Anthony’s coach Jeff Stelmok.
The league handed down a two-game suspension to the Friars coach for comments directed at Monsignor Farrell coach Pete Jerabeck after Lions star forward Nick Thorgersen was issued a spearing major in the closing seconds of Game 1 of the Class A championship series Sunday night.
Neither coach would elaborate on what Stelmok said. CHSHL commissioner Frank Dunn declined to comment on the suspension.
In the final seconds of St. Anthony’s 4-2 victory at Abe Stark Rink, Thorgersen speared St. Anthony’s Chris Sabanos in the neck. The senior forward was given a major and automatic disqualification, which resulted in a three-game suspension, ending his high school career.
Tempers flared afterward, particularly between the coaches, who had an angry verbal exchange in front of league officials.
“I’m not going to justify that. He’s got to justify that himself,” Jerabeck said after the game. “He knows what he said and I can’t repeat it. That would be libelous.”
“It was a blatant, deliberate act 100 feet from the action, a potentially life-threatening act and there’s no place in the game for something like that, especially with high school kids,” Stelmock told The Post. “When I tried to speak to Pete about it after the game, he dismissed me. It’s something I shouldn’t have said, but I feel completely justified with what I said to protect my kids for the next games.”
Stelmok’s suspension will apply to CHSHL games only. Should top-seeded St. Anthony’s wrap up the championship in Game 2, he will be able to coach in the CHSAA state championship game in Buffalo and will serve the second game in the 2011-12 season.
St. Anthony’s associate head coach Mike O’Connell will take over for Stelmok for the remainder of the series.
Jerabeck will be on the Farrell bench for Game 2, but his postgame comments to the media drew the ire of league officials.
“They called it a spear. The referees never saw it,” Jerabeck told reporters after the game. “Apparently some off-ice official made the call. It is what it is.”
CHSHL Director of Officiating Gerry Donnelly issued the following statement to The Post:
“After a thorough investigation which included phone interviews with both referees and the CHSHL commissioner who witnessed the event, we have concluded that Coach Jerabeck was misinformed in his assertion that neither referee saw the play in which his Nick Thorgersen was assessed a disqualification penalty for spearing. Both referees were properly positioned and the referee closest did in fact see the play. Before assessing the penalty, both referees conferred with the commissioner to make sure they were applying the CHSHL By-Law that covers major penalties correctly — any major penalty shall incur an automatic disqualification penalty. The referees wanted to make sure there was no special provision or waiver of this By-Law because the game was part of the CHSHL championship series.”
Game 2 of the series is Friday night at the Ice Hutch. If necessary, Game 3 is Saturday at the Ice Hutch. St. Anthony’s defeated Monsignor Farrell in last year’s best-of-three championship series.
