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ONTARIO: Junior hockey player gets 25-game suspension for punching other team's coach

In the face
Avery Siau
North Stars forward Avery Siau moves in on Dryden goalie Landon Pavlisin on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 at Fort William Gardens. (Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay North Stars forward Avery Siau will serve a 25-game suspension after punching an opposition coach in the face.

Siau was involved in a pair of off-ice incidents during and after Game 3 of the North Stars Superior International Junior Hockey League championship final.

Late in the contest, the already-suspended player approached the penalty box and began taunting a penalized Dryden player, who was serving a penalty.

Matthew Pitchenese lunged at Siau, but sat back down.

Following the game Siau and Dryden coach Kurt Walsten had an encounter, that led to a punch being thrown and landed, leaving Walsten with a nasty black eye.

Siau was suspended indefinitely. He had a face-to-face meeting with league officials, who handed down the 25-game sentence, one of the longest suspensions in SIJHL history.

He's served three games already and will serve at least another three during next week's Dudley Hewitt Cup, where Thunder Bay will attempt to capture the provincial championship for the first time in 12 years.

The 20-year-old Siau had 24 goals and 63 points in 49 games for the North Stars in 2017-18, collecting 76 penalty minutes. He added another seven points in 10 playoff games.

SIJHL policy is to not comment on league suspensions.

— Dougall Media/tbnewswatch.com


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Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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