THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 17, 1996 TAG: 9601170483
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Forward Dominic Maltais, the Hampton Roads Admirals' leading goal-scorer, served a one-game suspension Tuesday for an offense he and the Admirals vehemently deny ever happened.
Maltais was assessed a gross misconduct during Monday's 8-5 loss at Charlotte after an off-ice official - sources say a goal judge - told a linesman he heard Maltais use a racial slur on the Checkers' Shawn Reid, who is black.
``It never happened,'' Maltais said. ``I never said a word like that. My best friend at home (Reggie Breazeault, in Boucherville, Quebec) is black. I have too much respect for people to ever do that. I have to live with it, but it's a bad call.''
Maltais said he shoved Reid after Reid bumped Admirals goalie Mark Bernard. Both players then shouted expletives at each other, but Maltais insists that's as far as it went. Several minutes after he went to the bench, a linesman informed him he'd been issued a gross misconduct and tossed out of the game.
Apparently, the commissioner's office feels Maltais' version may have merit. Although a gross misconduct normally carries an indefinite suspension, there is enough ambiguity about what took place that ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly limited the suspension to one game.
Also, Kelly allowed the Admirals to replace Maltais on the roster, an unusual concession.
``It's a very cumbersome appeal process that we have, and we're not appealing it,'' Admirals owner Blake Cullen said before Tuesday's game. ``I think it's best dropped. We deny it, and I don't want it following Dominic around.
``It's a very sensitive situation, but how do you fight a negative? It comes down to one person's word against another's. We are not happy, but we're kind of swallowing it so, hopefully, it's put to bed.''
One reason the club decided to have Maltais serve the suspension without appealing are the rules of the process itself. A discretionary ruling can be appealed, but if that appeal is denied, the suspension becomes two games for every game the player participated in while the appeal was taking place.
``Dominic says he doesn't know what he did or said to deserve a gross misconduct,'' Cullen said. ``That's our position, too.''
BITS 'N' PIECES: Doctors have cleared Admirals defenseman Sergei Voronov to play, but it's still unclear when he will rejoin the lineup. Voronov, who bruised his shoulder Jan. 3 against Raleigh, has been reluctant to test the shoulder. Trainer Rick Burrill said one reason may be that, from what he can tell, this is Voronov's first experience with this type of injury and it's difficult for him to feel confident he's completely healthy. ``Every medical opinion I've sought out has indicated that he needs to start using it,'' Burrill said. Convincing Voronov, who speaks little English, has been tougher than expected. . . . Defenseman Jason MacIntyre will undergo shoulder surgery today at Chesapeake General Hospital. . . . Defenseman Ron Pascucci is back after a stint with Portland of the AHL. He may play Friday against South Carolina, pending receipt of the proper paper work from the Pirates. . . . Sean Selmser has played the last two games despite needing nine stitches to close a cut suffered Saturday night in a fight against Richmond. . . . Ten Admirals will wait on tables at the Spaghetti Warehouse in Norfolk from 6 to 9 tonight to raise money for the Tidewater Literacy Council. by CNB