One of the Sudbury Wolves' players who was suspended for online comments directed at a Barrie Colts defenceman has had his suspension reduced by the Ontario Hockey League, which also upheld the ban handed down to his teammate.
On Tuesday afternoon, the OHL announced the results of its appeal process regarding suspensions previously meted out to Sudbury players Nathan Villeneuve and Evan Konyen in connection to their roles in violating the league’s social-media policy.
In a news release, Tim Lukenda, chairman of the OHL board of governors and a member of the league’s appeal panel, announced that suspensions to both players have been modified.
Villeneuve's 15-game suspension was upheld, with nine regular-season games to be served in the 2023-24 season and the remaining six to be served to begin the 2024-25 regular season. He is eligible to return for Game 1 of the 2024 OHL playoffs, however.
Konyen's 10-game suspension was reduced six games. He's eligible to return for regular-season action on Friday, March 22.
In its decision, the league’s appeal panel also voted unanimously to affirm the commissioner's previous findings that the policy had been violated.
In accordance with the OHL constitution and enforcement process, the league says this decision is final and conclusive with no further right of appeal or review.
The league had initially handed down the suspensions March 6 following an investigation into an alleged bounty being placed on a Barrie Colts defenceman.
The league had said it became aware of "concerning allegations" regarding "inappropriate game-related comments" shared on a Wolves group chat following a game between Sudbury and Barrie on Jan. 18. The league did not provide any specifics about the comments that were made.
The OHL says its investigation revealed the players' conduct was "detrimental to the welfare of the league, one that would greatly compromise player safety and the overall integrity of the game."
In a Jan. 18 game between the Colts and the Wolves, Barrie defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson hit Villeneuve with a hard body check at Sadlon Arena.
Although there was no penalty called on the play, the check didn’t sit well with Wolves defencemen Nolan Collins, who fought Aitcheson later in the same game.
"The hit was hard but clean and, after review, was not deemed worthy of a penalty," BarrieToday columnist Peter Robinson wrote after the allegations surfaced.
Three days later, when the two teams met again, Barrie didn’t dress Aitcheson, according to the game sheet. Sudbury won that game, 6-3.
Robinson wrote the Colts "caught wind of the potentially dicey situation" ahead of the return engagement and sat their second-year blue-liner to eliminate any possibility of retribution.
The teams played again at Sudbury Community Arena on Feb. 28, with Barrie winning 7-3. Aitcheson didn't play in that game, either.
Barrie and Sudbury will meet again on Saturday, March 16 at Sadlon Arena, followed by another game in Sudbury on Friday, March 22 in what will be the penultimate game of the regular-season schedule.
