CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The Island Storm is appealing a one-game suspension handed to forward Du’Vaughn Maxwell following an incident with Moncton Magic head coach Joe Salerno at the end of the Boxing Day game at the Eastlink Centre.
Salerno, the former Storm head coach, and Maxwell were both handed one-game suspensions on New Year’s Eve with both expected to serve the game during their first contests of 2018.
“The appeal is based on the position that the Moncton head coach entered the Storm’s bench area immediately after the game,” the Storm said Wednesday in a news release. “The opposing coach stepped onto the playing surface to shove Maxwell from behind. The Storm contends that while Maxwell did reach out to touch the coach’s arm following the push, he was reacting to the initial aggression and was not an equal participant.”
No date has been set for the appeal and Maxwell will continue to play until the appeal is heard. The Storm returns to the court on Saturday at home against the Windsor Express at 7 p.m.
Salerno served his suspension on Tuesday night.
The Storm said this is the second incident involving Salerno making physical contact with a member of the Storm this season. The league office reviewed a Nov. 23 incident and warned Salerno.
“The NBL has a well-defined process for this situation and we will follow that process to get to the appropriate conclusion,” said Storm owner Duncan Shaw.
The league also suspended Storm centre Marcus Bell two games and Saint John forward Brian Addison five games for their actions in the Dec. 30 game at Harbour Station.
The Storm announced Wednesday night on Twitter that Bell has left the team to play professionally in Mexico.
The Storm could activate Trenity Burdine from its inactive roster for this weekend’s game.
