A player in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) has been handed a lifetime ban from the league, and will likely have a hard time getting into any other, after punching a referee in the face during a game on Sunday. The player, Paul Halloran of the South Shore Kings, was apparently unhappy about a call, and decided to punch the referee in the face after he was told to get off the ice, as well as pushing the official down. Here's the video:
USPHL Player gets lifetime ban after punching referee in the face (w/video)
"The action taken today by a USPHL player is completely unacceptable in the USPHL. The USPHL has zero tolerance for any player striking any official, at any time. The player in question's actions have led to a lifetime ban. The incident is currently being investigated by local authorities and as such the USPHL will have no further comments at this time." - USPHL Commissioner Bob Turow
It's difficult to defend anything about Halloran's actions here. Being upset about a call is one thing, but punching an official is out of bounds in any league anywhere in the world. He had to know the result wouldn't be good for him.
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