A Nelson junior hockey coach accused a visiting Kamloops player of racially taunting one of his team members during a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League game Saturday.

After the LeafsB次元官网网址� 4-2 win over the Kamloops Storm, assistant coach Adam DiBella was furious with what he said had been insensitive remarks toward a player throughout the game.

B次元官网网址淪ometimes winning a game is more than just two points,B次元官网网址� said DiBella.

B次元官网网址淲hen there is awful, racial language being directed toward our bench from their players B次元官网网址� it just makes you want to get the win even more. Quite honestly, thereB次元官网网址檚 not a lot of place, not even in the game but in society, for anything like that.B次元官网网址�

DiBella declined to name the players involved. He said he complained to the officiating crew during the game, but nothing came of it.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 blame the refs one bit,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey told me theyB次元官网网址檇 look out for it, but they canB次元官网网址檛 make a call they didnB次元官网网址檛 hear.B次元官网网址�

Storm head coach Steve Gainey said he heard nothing from the officials and thought there may have been a misunderstanding.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the things that came out was he said, B次元官网网址榃eB次元官网网址檙e back, babyB次元官网网址� and the kid took it as B次元官网网址榃e black, baby.B次元官网网址� So I think thereB次元官网网址檚 a place where the kid might be a little sensitive and maybe had it happen in the past, which is understandable,B次元官网网址� said Gainey.

B次元官网网址淲e looked at it on the bench right away as soon as it came up, because it is obviously something that we would take really seriously within our own organization. So that was the response we got and it was kind of the end of it on our end. B次元官网网址� Nobody in our group, when I challenged the situation, said anything like that came out.B次元官网网址�

Both DiBella and Gainey were tossed from the game late in the third period.

The next day, Gainey told Kamloops This Week that Leafs players surrounded the StormB次元官网网址檚 bus with five cars after the game.

B次元官网网址淭here was just a lot of continued emotion carried forward from the game from them, in their excitement to win and our frustration in the loss, having gone through a real emotional game on the ice with the amount of drama that weB次元官网网址檙e talking about,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淔or it to carry off the ice was a challenging thing for our boys to deal with.B次元官网网址�

Leafs head coach Mario DiBella told the Star his players did not surround the StormB次元官网网址檚 bus and Gainey was not telling the truth.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a poor excuse for bad conduct by their coaching staff,B次元官网网址� said DiBella.

Cole Wyatt scored twice, Shawn Campbell and Reid Wilson had singles and Anderson Violette made 18 saves for the Leafs (11-2-3), who won their 11th straight game.

Chris Thon scored twice for the Storm (4-12-1), who lost for the seventh consecutive contest. Goaltender Ethan Paulin-Hatch stopped 22 shots for Kamloops.

B次元官网网址� With files from Kamloops This Week reporter Marty Hastings

tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter