AMHERST, N.S. – The good news continues for the Amherst CIBC Wood Gundy Ramblers.
Days after having their Oct. 13 win over the Valley Wildcats restored, the Ramblers have had a fine and suspension levied against coach and GM Jeff LeBlanc overturned by Hockey Nova Scotia.
It marks the conclusion of a two-week process that first saw LeBlanc suspended two games and the team fined $1,000 that was rescinded by the league and replaced by a forfeit only to be restored after the league’s appeals committee ruled league president Brian Whitehead erred in awarding the game to the Wildcats.
The appeals committee then forwarded the original punishment to Hockey Nova Scotia saying it could be in a possible conflict of interest because it dealt with the appeal that overturned the president’s decision to take the two points away from Amherst.
In overturning the fine and suspensions, Hockey Nova Scotia said, “this decision is based on the fact the MHL constitution does not deal with the pay-to-play registration and the lack of league consistency in dealing with pay-to-play issues. The committee is also of the opinion the Amherst organization did their due diligence in trying to resolve the pay-to-play situation.”
Hockey Nova Scotia also agreed with the four recommendations from the MHL appeals committee that the league present a revised player registration policy to the board of governors at their January 2019 meeting for consideration.
The policy must include a section requiring players joining a team after the player registration due date (currently Oct. 1) be required to pay the fee prior to participating in any league game. It must include specific sanctions for any proven violation of the policy and requires the league to adopt bylaws governing the player registration policy at its 2019 annual general meeting.
