Ice hockey – Kirkham out in shock move

The Elite League have removed Simon Kirkham as Head of the Department of Player Safety (DOPS) with immediate effect.

The shock news follows confirmation that the Department of Player Safety have banned Sheffield Steelers’ Colton Fretter for six games. Sheffield visit Fife Flyers on Saturday.

The sentence has been upped from one game after an independent review of an incident in last Sundays game between Sheffield and Belfast Giants.

It also involved Belfast Giants star Spiro Goulakos who is now suspended for two games instead of three. Giants visit Braehead on Saturday and Edinburgh on Sunday.

Lyle Seitz, a former National Hockey League linesman, was used along with members of the Player Safety Committee (PSC).

Seitz along with the PSC have agreed to assist the league in the interim until the board meet on November 8 for an emergency session to discuss DOPS and refereeing.