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OHL North Bay Battalion

Trio of Suspensions Follows Sunday Fracas

December 14, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - Mike Baird, Brett McKenzie and Zach Shankar of the North Bay Battalion have received suspensions as a result of a melee in a 7-2 victory Sunday over the London Knights, the Ontario Hockey League announced Monday.

Left winger Baird was suspended for three games and is eligible to return Dec. 29 against the host Owen Sound Attack in the Battalion's first game after the Christmas break in the schedule.

Centre McKenzie and defenceman Shankar received two-game suspensions and are eligible to return Saturday night when the Troops visit the Barrie Colts. All three players will miss home games Thursday and Friday nights against the Mississauga Steelheads and Niagara IceDogs respectively.

Aiden Jamieson of the visiting Knights was suspended for three games and Brendan Burke and Jack Hidi for two games each.

The Battalion led 7-2 at 9:38 of the third period when several fights broke out after Brandon Crawley, who was assessed no penalty for the act, broke his stick crosschecking Baird into the London net. In trying to get up and vacate the cage, Baird was impeded by goaltender Burke, who first blocked Baird and then kicked at him to hamper the forward's efforts.

Baird, finally free, was standing next to Burke when knocked down by linesman Evan McCrory, who then noticed fights starting elsewhere and moved to try to suppress them. Baird got up again and wrestled with Burke, showing some reluctance to hit the goaltender despite having pulled off his mask. Burke, who clearly was ailing on his way to the bench, received a game misconduct for a second fight at the same stoppage and was relieved by Emanuel Vella.

Steve Harland scrapped with London's Owen MacDonald in what was deemed to be the first fight, and McKenzie took on Hidi.

The game was delayed more than 10 minutes as referees Scott Oakman and Len Wood struggled to sort out what had happened.

Baird received a fighting major and two game misconducts, for a second fight at the same stoppage and for removing Burke's mask. McKenzie was assessed a fighting major and a game misconduct for a second fight, while Shankar drew a game misconduct for being the third man into a fight.

The Troops went to the power play, as the extra penalties were London minors, to Burke for interference and for leaving the crease and to Jamieson, who also received two game misconducts, for crosschecking Shankar.

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