SPHL suspends Bechard, Simchuk

The Southern Professional Hockey League suspended Columbus coach Jerome Bechard and forward Craig Simchuk on Sunday in the aftermath of Saturday night's 7-1 loss to Peoria.

In a news release, the SPHL announced that Bechard and Simchuk were suspended pending a review of Saturday night's game in which Peoria goalie Kyle Rank left Columbus Civic Center on a stretcher.

The exact number of games Bechard and Simchuk will miss has not yet been determined. Columbus does not play again until Wednesday at Fayetteville.

Bechard was ejected from Saturday's contest after leaving the bench in the middle of the second period, while Simchuck was ejected for intent to injure Rank.

A video of the incident showed Rank looking behind his net as the puck went to his left. Simchuck came from his blind side and crashed him into the net post, knocking the net loose.

Following the collision, the game was halted for 15 minutes as Rank was placed on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital.

A source close to the Cottonmouths said Rank suffered a concussion, but that he left the hospital Sunday and traveled with his team to its game at Huntsville on Sunday night.

Peoria coach Jean-Guy Trudel told the Peoria Journal Star the hit on Rank was intentional.

"Bechard ordered his team to hurt Kyle Rank. He will deny it, but he was yelling from the bench (in the first period) he was gonna do it, everyone heard it," Trudel told the Peoria Journal Star. "Jerome Bechard should never coach in this league again. What happened tonight was despicable, an embarrassment to the SPHL.

"You start yelling you are going to hurt the goaltender, and then first shift of the second period your guy goes and does it. No player in his right mind is going to do that unless he is order(ed) to do it.

"The puck was nowhere around, Rank wasn't even looking, he wasn't involved in a play. It was a gross, disgusting play and the league better investigate Bechard and talk to some people about what happened. A line needs to be drawn here with him."

Bechard said his team was frustrated after his goalie, Shannon Szabados, was knocked down by Peoria in Friday's game.

"Frustration broiled over, not only just from when their guys running into Shannon on Saturday, but from when they knocked her down on Friday night as well," Bechard said. "I warned the ref that they're going to have a blood bath on their hands if they don't do something soon. Unfortunately, it was too late.

"Jean-Guy's comments couldn't be more further from the truth, and for him to say that is unprofessional on his part."

Simchuk said Bechard didn't order his players to hurt Rank.

"No coach is going to order his players to take out an opposing player," Simchuk said. "Frustration broiled over and every player on our team had same mentality in that they laid some cheap shots on Shannon multiple times over the weekend and we felt enough was enough.

"By no means did I want to injure Kyle Rank. He's a great goalie and I wish him the best. Can't say what I did was smart and I 100 percent take back what I did. I feel awful, but sometimes players have to takes things on for themselves and protect our own."

Following the multiple fights that ensued from Simchuk's collision with Rank, Bechard decided that he had enough as well, even at one point waving a white towel towards the refs.

"To be honest, I thought I was already thrown out," Bechard said. "Later came to learn that I wasn't officially thrown out until I stepped off the bench and out onto the ice."

This story was originally published December 20, 2015 at 5:03 PM with the headline "SPHL suspends Bechard, Simchuk ."