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UHL Hockey Coach puts $200 bounty on players head.. this made SportsCenter today!!


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GENESEE COUNTY

THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION

Monday, February 21, 2005

By Brendan Savage

Flint Generals forward Kevin Kerr was among the most outspoken players in the United Hockey League when three Detroit Red Wings signed with the Motor City Mechanics three weeks ago.

It apparently made Kerr a marked man when the Mechanics visited Flint Feb. 2.

According to a report in the Macomb Daily, Motor City coach Steve Shannon allegedly placed a $200 bounty on Kerr's head because of the comments Kerr made criticizing the locked-out NHLers for dropping down into the UHL and taking away jobs from minor-league players.

Kerr said he discussed the situation with UHL commissioner Richard Brosal, who did not return calls to The Journal on Sunday. The Macomb Daily reported that Shannon has been suspended indefinitely.

"Am I surprised?" Kerr said Sunday. "In 18 years of pro hockey, nothing surprises me. I don't know what to say. I heard about it after the game. What can you do about it? You just hope when you hear things like that the league takes it seriously.

"Knowing Richard, I think he will take it seriously."

The incident is almost identical to a memorable scene from the cult hockey movie "Slap Shot." Paul Newman's character, Charlestown Chiefs coach Reggie Dunlap, triggers a free-for-all when he places a $50 bounty on the head of a rival team's captain.

Looking back, Kerr said he doesn't remember any of the Mechanics taking cheap shots at him, although he did fracture his elbow when he fell to the ice after receiving what he called a clean check from a Motor City player.

Kerr, who pointed out that he criticized the NHL players and not the UHL or the Mechanics, said he doesn't regret speaking out against the players' decision to sign with Motor City - something teammates Rob Valicevic, Jim Duhart, Kris Waltze and Brent Currie also did.

The difference was Kerr was quoted by local television stations as well as the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit News and the Toronto Globe and Mail. All sought Kerr's reaction since he set the modern record for career goals by a minor-leaguer Jan. 7.

"I was just speaking from the heart," said Kerr. "I was speaking for a lot of people who maybe didn't have the courage or weren't able to stand up and speak their minds."

The Generals on Thursday signed Red Wings defenseman Jason Woolley, who made his debut with Flint in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Kalamazoo Wings.

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The reason for posting this is I'm from Flint and I was a DIE-HARD Generals fan.. I used to date two of the players when I was 17/18 and I went to all their games (for free of course. lol).... Was there when they won the championship in 1995...

I heard this on SportsCenter this morning and found the article in the Flint Journal...

:laugh:

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Courtesy of espn.com

DETROIT -- Motor City Mechanics coach Steve Shannon was suspended by the United Hockey League for the rest of the season for offering his players $200 to take out Flint Generals forward Kevin Kerr.

UHL commissioner Richard Brosal said Shannon never admitted to offering the money, but a league investigation found that he placed the bounty on Feb. 2 when the Mechanics played the Generals in Flint.

Before the game, Kerr criticized NHL players who had joined UHL teams, saying they were taking time from minor league players.

Chris Chelios, Derian Hatcher and Kris Draper of the Detroit Red Wings joined the Mechanics on Feb. 1. Another Red Wings player, Jason Woolley, recently signed with the Generals.

Brosal confirmed that the bounty was $200, but said the amount wasn't important.

"I don't care if it was $5. You do not put a bounty on another player's head," Brosal said.

Brosal said Shannon won't be automatically reinstated for the 2005 season.

"I would review that again if it came up. We'll just have to wait and see," he said.

Shannon didn't immediately return a phone message left by The Associated Press. He will miss the final 24 games played by the last-place Mechanics (17-33-6).

Former Mechanics coach Garry Unger will reassume the job until further notice. Mechanics president John Tull planned to meet with team owners Tuesday to discuss the situation.

"We regret that Steve's been suspended, but we back the league's decision," Tull said. "Neither the league nor the Mechanics would ever condone headhunting out on the ice."

Tull said Kerr was slightly injured by a clean check in the game, but no one collected any money from Shannon.

"Nothing ended up happening. Most of the players realized that is not the way to conduct yourself as a professional," Tull said.

The Mechanics face Flint again on Friday.

"We're just trying to put a fire out and ... have a professional, clean hockey game," Tull said.

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