The head coach of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) side Vityaz, Andrey Nazarov, has attacked Belarusian fans with a hockey stick during his team’s away game at Dynamo Minsk. Vityaz are well-known as one of the hardest squads in the league.
And when the Moscow Region team went a goal down on the final minute of the match, they responded by staging several fights with Dynamo players, which caused outrage in the stands. The local supporters began throwing cigarette lighters and other foreign objects on to the ice and at the Vityaz bench as well, insulting the visiting players and staff.
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That was when Nazarov, who was one of the most famous tough-guys in the NHL, lost his patience. The 37-year-old grabbed a stick and tried to hit the spectators, with only the protective glass barrier stopping him from hurting somebody. The coach also produced an obscene gesture towards the crowd and received a match penalty, as did two of his players.
Nazarov did not arrive at the post-match press conference, with his assistant saying he was undergoing medical treatment after being struck by an object thrown from the stands. The day after the incident, the Vityaz coach agreed that his behaviour was inappropriate and he was ready to accept any punishment from the KHL. On Monday, the league banned the coach for two games.
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