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    Puck Daddy

    Skyler Spiller’s faceoff sucker punch sparks Texas line brawl (Video)

    By Greg Wyshynski | Puck Daddy – Tue, Jan 17, 2012 9:48 AM EST

    After his team took a 4-1 lead in the third period on Sunday, Corpus Christi IceRays Coach Justin Quenneville observed the Texas Tornado changing personnel for the ensuing faceoff at center ice. Enforcer Mico Solarzano hopped over the boards, as did "one of their other meatsticks," he recalled.

    Quenneville knew what was coming. Sure enough, Texas forward Skyler Spiller stalked Perry D'Arrisso of the Ice Rays after the draw and then sucker-punched him from behind, sparking an energetic line brawl between the NAHL rivals:

    "Oh what a move by Texas … that's brave." Homer announcers rule. That's Corpus Cristi's Rob Lippolis, by the way, who's rather dedicated to his craft.

    From Greg Rajan of the Corpus Christi Caller:

    "I have absolutely no idea (why it happened)," D'Arrisso said. "I went to the faceoff and (Spiller) didn't say anything to me.

    "The puck dropped and I was looking at it the whole time and I turned around and he was coming right me. I just turtled before I got knocked in the face and everybody jumped in."

    The bad blood also spilled off the ice, with IceRays general manager Pat Dunn engaging in a shouting match with Tornado coach Tony Curtale and assistant Jason Bloomingburg, who briefly played in Corpus Christi during the IceRays' minor-pro years.

    Team Executive Fight would have made up for the frustrating lack of Goalie Fight in that clip.

    The brawl resulted in 77 penalty minutes. Here's a fan's-eye view of the fight. Middle fingers?! Hey, calm down you guys. (One NSFW slur at the end of the clip.)

     

    15 comments

    • Drew
      Drew  •  New York, New York  •  4 months ago
      Wow. I like fighting as much as anyone, and line brawls are fun, but that #9 who is just beating on a guy laying on the ice covering up probably needs to speak with the local police. What a cowardly tool...
      • Drocity
        Drocity 4 months ago
        The guy laying on the ice is the one who started the whole thing with a sucker punch from behind. So I don't have much sympathy for him.
      • Drocity
        Drocity 4 months ago
        Sorry, I take that back. It is not the same guy (or even the right team). I agree with you Drew.
      • CP
        CP 4 months ago
        agree
    • Jimbo
      Jimbo  •  San Diego, California  •  4 months ago
      I don't even understand what level this is? Amateur? Junior? Minor, minor league?

      Regardless, who cares what these clowns are doing? Stop putting this crap on Puck Daddy. Why give it an audience it doesn't deserve? Just makes everyone look bad, the crappy league where it occurred, puck daddy for publicizing it, and hockey in general.
      • Diehardnuck
        Diehardnuck 4 months ago
        Ya Puck Daddy - quit making this guy click on links he doesn't care about, totally not cool.
      • Stick Boy
        Stick Boy 4 months ago
        The NAHL is one step below the OHL, QMJHL and WHL. (Which are all in the CHL). Its kids ages 16 to 20. This was a disgrace to the entire game and I think belongs on Puck Daddy, just like the KHL line brawls. I'm so glad the 70's are gone.
      • Yeti
        Yeti 4 months ago
        The NAHL is considered Tier II junior hockey, so they'd be at least two steps below major junior (WHL, OHL, QMJHL). Tier I junior hockey in the Unites States is the USHL. If players aren't good enough for the USHL, they usually are demoted to the NAHL.
    • BUGS BUNNY
      BUGS BUNNY  •  Cheyenne, Wyoming  •  4 months ago
      Most Tornados are cheap shot cowards just like their coach.
    • Steven W
      Steven W  •  Piscataway, New Jersey  •  4 months ago
      People still give the middle finger in hopes to offend people? "Hey hockey player! Look at my middle finger aimed at you! You mad?!" ........what is this? 1993?
    • Tony C
      Tony C  •  Houston, Texas  •  4 months ago
      TYPICAL Tornado hockey, i was the equipment manager for the Forge when we were in the league from 2000-2003 and Curtale coached the same way. They were always goons and always will be. It's an absolute joke that the league has put up with him for all this time, the guy is a punk and he coaches his players to be the same way.
    • Brennan
      Brennan  •  4 months ago
      Played against Spiller in Texas High School Hockey. Not someone I would want to take a sucker punch from.
    • doh
      doh  •  4 months ago
      line brawls are fun but that 1 guy just snapped. the guy who turtled had no idea what was going on
    • CYarby48
      CYarby48  •  Austin, Texas  •  4 months ago
      Ads on the goal posts and crossbar? Yikes. Don't let the NHL see that please.
    • spill
      spill  •  4 months ago
      so how did spiller not get a match penalty for that mess?
    • Shanaban
      Shanaban  •  4 months ago
      I blame Mike Modano for bringing hockey to Texas.
      • ricky
        ricky 4 months ago
        Norm Green still sucks!
    • manuel
      manuel  •  Dallas, Texas  •  4 months ago
      What none of you know is that this action was provoked. Shortly before the brawl a Corpus Christi player skated by the Tornado bench and taunted them, and if you know anything about junior hockey, that is a no-no. But of course this was edited out of the Corpus Christi posted video. The fight could have been handled better by Spiller but maybe Corpus will think next time before they pull something like that again, that's hockey.
    • Nick
      Nick  •  Southfield, Michigan  •  4 months ago
      lol @ the "f***ing fa**ot" shout at the end. Texas homophobes...
      • Drew
        Drew 4 months ago
        You wouldn't be so quick to judge those Texans if you had seen Full Metal Jacket, cause we all know what comes out of Texas...and I didn't see any horns on that guy!
    • Mustache of Kes
      Mustache of Kes  •  4 months ago
      The real cause of this sucker punch? Someone told Skyler Spiller that there were Bruin scouts attending the game.
      • 16Middie
        16Middie 4 months ago
        I thought your mommy told you not to watch scary things ... what a typical Habs fan, bent over and loving it -- only better if it were in French, eh?

        Ole, ole, ole!
      • Ernie L
        Ernie L 4 months ago
        Who wouldn't want to play for the best team in the world? Jealousy is only going to produce more tears in the spring sunshine
    • fugitive x
      fugitive x  •  Toronto, Canada  •  4 months ago
      I think Skyler Spiller just earned himself a spot on Vityaz
    • Nima
      Nima  •  Kuwait City, Kuwait  •  4 months ago
      But yeah marek is right, we should accept sucker punches in this sport. because in his bizarro world it's not entirely gutless to punch a guy in the back of the head or give a guy a shot to the eye ala downie on blake when the refs have blakes hands tied up. in case you haven't already picked up, it's defines disgraceful. how can you defend that and call vityaz a disgusting goon team? enough double standards. it's #$%$
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