OHL fines team $7,500 for Thompson’s rant and sanctions general manager

The Ontario Hockey League fined the Windsor Spitfires $7,500 on Tuesday for head coach Rocky Thompson’s post-game rant of the officiating in Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the Knights in London.

The league called the comments, which were directed at veteran referees Mike Cairns and Scott Oakman, inappropriate and detrimental to the welfare of the league.

Part of that fine was also because the Spitfires posted Thompson’s post-game comments on the team’s Twitter account, which the league said was not consistent with the OHL’s social media policy.

“It is subjective,” OHL vice-president Ted Baker said of the size of the fine. “It was a combination of public comments to newspapers, through television and the media. Comments regarding an opposition player and contravening our social media when you post something of that nature.”

On top of that, the OHL has sanctioned Windsor general manager Warren Rychel for certain actions, including violating league policy concerning interaction with on-ice officials before, during and after the game.

The sanctions did not apply to Tuesday’s game because the decision was handed down late in the day, but will limit Rychel’s interaction with the team on game days.

“We don’t have a lot of further comment on that,” Baker said.

“We’re going through a process with Warren and the Spitfires.”

Baker said the league was reserving finalizing any further disciplinary action against Rychel and the Spitfires pending a hearing, which is to be held on Friday in Toronto.

The latest league action comes a day after the OHL handed Spitfires co-captain Jeremiah Addison a two-game suspension for a crosschecking major in Sunday’s game.

Baker said the league was still gathering information on the Spitfires’ complaint about the ice maintenance crew engaging with players after the game. Baker said the league is also still gathering more information on London’s opening goal of the game, which the Spitfires claim had no video evidence it crossed the goal-line.

“The protocol was followed correctly,” Baker said of how the review was handled. “The question is did (video goal judge Ray McManus) make the right judgment at the end of the day.”

Baker acknowledged the Spitfires sent in a series of clips from Sunday’s game that the team had issues with. “It was done with respect and in a professional manner,” Baker said. “As with most clips teams send in, you can agree with things and you can disagree with things.

“We can probably go back and look at further clips or the opposition could also send in clips.”

Because there were no injuries on any of the calls in question, Baker said there will be no subsequent discipline in regards to what took place on the ice.