No charges will be filed in the minor-league hockey game brawl that left a Texas player with a broken jaw and nose, Larimer County District Attorney Larry Abrahamson said this afternoon.
According to a statement released by the DA, Larimer County Sheriff’s investigators submitted the results of their investigation into a fight during an Oct. 9 game between the Colorado Eagles and the Odessa Jackalopes.
Based on a review of the case, Abrahamson determined no criminal charges will be filed.
A third-period melee during the pre-season match left observers stunned and Odessa player Dave Van Drunen hospitalized with a broken nose and broken jaw.
“I know they had seven fights in the first two minutes of the third period,” said Larimer County sheriff’s spokeswoman Eloise Campanella.
Then came the attack on Van Drunen, a defenseman, who was caught “unaware” by Colorado’s Brad MacMillan, according to an account in the Odessa American newspaper.
Former Jackalopes defenseman Mario Joly, now with Colorado, also came off the bench and challenged several Odessa players to fight during the preseason game. The Eagles’ season opens tonight against the Arizona Sundogs in Loveland’s Budweiser Events Center.
Van Drunen needed 18 screws and multiple metal plates to repair his face.
Thursday, the two teams issued a joint letter in which they announced that the Jackalopes had withdrawn any requests they had made for criminal charges against Eagles personnel.
The Central Hockey League, meanwhile, on Thursday suspended MacMillan for 22 games for “attempting to injure a player.” Colorado defenseman George Bradley will serve a five-game suspension and has been fined an undisclosed amount. Joly has been suspended four games for leaving the players’ bench.
Also, the Colorado Eagles organization has been fined an undisclosed amount for the “multiple altercations” at the end of the game, and assistant coach Greg Pankewicz has been been suspended for three games, to be served during the Eagles’ three regular-season visits to Odessa.
The league also fined Odessa for failing to complete the game.
In addition, Odessa head coach Paul Gillis will be suspended for three games, and the organization was fined an undisclosed amount for public comments and incidents during the game.
Following the Van Drunen-MacMillan incident, Gillis pulled his team from the ice and forfeited the game, which the Jackalopes were winning 3-1. Odessa beat Colorado 7-3 on Oct. 7.
Jackalopes owner Rick Gasser told the Odessa paper that he had filed assault charges against MacMillan on Saturday. Gasser also asked the league for a lifetime ban for MacMillan, at least 20 games for Joly and suspension for Pankewicz.
“We are very disappointed with the actions that took place on Saturday night in Colorado,” said CHL commissioner Duane Lewis. “This in no way reflects CHL hockey and we feel the appropriate parties have been held accountable.”
