Hockey Canada suspends Spits assistant coach
Windsor Spitfires assistant coach Kris Newbury has been handed a four-week suspension.
A former NHLER, the 42-year-old Newbury has not been suspended by the Ontario Hockey League, but by Hockey Canada after a third-party investigation.
“Being a member of Hockey Canada, we have to adhere to that suspension,” Spitfires general manager Bill Bowler said.
No details were given as to why Newbury, who sat out his first game on Thursday, was handed the suspension. Apparently, it involves his time in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Trenton Golden Hawks.
Trenton head coach and general manager Derek Smith, also a former NHLER, was given a four-week suspension at the start of January. No details were provided as to the reason for that suspension. Trenton ownership said at that time that it disagreed with the findings of that investigation and planned to appeal.
An appeal is also expected for Newbury, but the process will take longer than the four weeks he must serve.
“You can't coach while you're under appeal and it will take more than four weeks,” Bowler said.
Newbury has returned to his home in Belleville and cannot be around the Spitfires while serving the suspension.
“It was an allegation that was brought forward,” Newbury said. “I am disappointed in the process as I have not been able to provide my side of the story. At this time, I have no further comment.”
With Newbury out of the picture, Bowler stepped back behind the bench with interim head coach Casey Torres for Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Flint Firebirds and is expected to remain there for the remainder
of Newbury's suspension.
GRANT HITS MILESTONE
Spitfires head equipment manager J.R. Grant was honoured by the club on Thursday for his 1,000th career game.
“It was great,” the 31-year-old Grant said. “I thought they did a really good job. There were a lot of surprises. I had no clue of anything happening.”
Grant got started with the Spitfires when he was in Grade 9 as part of the game-day operations staff. In 2008-09, he was hired as an assistant equipment manager and was then named head equipment manager in 2012-13. It's a position with plenty of long hours and little recognition.
“I had dreams of (making it a career),” said Grant, who like the players aspires to greater heights. “Keep plunking away to get to the next level.”
SPITFIRES RECALL PAIR
The Spitfires recalled forwards Nathan Gaymes and Alec Stewart from their junior B Lasalle Vipers affiliate ahead of Friday's game in Flint against the Firebirds.
The two filled in for forwards Ethan Martin and first-round pick Jack Nesbitt, who are both out with an illness. Martin missed Thursday's game and Adriano Tonin was recalled from the Vipers to take his spot.
An OHL under-18 draft pick by the Spitfires in 2022, the 18-yearold Stewart started the season with the team and was pointless in 10 games. He has three goals and nine points in 14 games since joining the Vipers.
The 18-year-old Gaymes was a 15th-round pick by the Spitfires in the 2022 OHL draft. He is leading the Vipers in goals this season with 20 and has 34 points in 45 games.