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University of Maine men’s ice hockey players Mike Hamilton and Wes Clark will both perform community service as punishment for their involvement in a brawl that occurred last month at Washburn Place apartments.
Hamilton, a junior student, from Victoria, British Columbia, and Clark, a sophomore from Oakville, Ontario, each pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct charges as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. The ruling, which came down on Thursday in Penobscot County Superior Court, saw both players sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
Hamilton will also pay a $500 fine upon completing his community service sentence. As for Clark, his charge will be dropped.
UMaine interim athletic director Blake James will now work with Clark and Hamilton to determine further action.
“The legal proceedings have concluded and what I will do now is evaluate the situation, apply the student athlete code of conduct, and we’ll move forward on an individual basis with both Mike and Wes,” said James.
James believes the players’ futures with UMaine hockey will be decided sometime this week.
“I will address that with them individually this week,” said James. “Obviously, I want to focus on their academics right now.”
The original charges against the students were downgraded from assault and aggravated criminal mischief. Penobscot County Deputy District Attorney Michael Roberts believed they did not arrive at the apartment with the intention to begin a melee.
James would not say whether or not he believed the rulings were too light or too heavy.
“I have no comment on that. I let the legal system handle legal issues and just worry about re-evaluating the situation after the proceedings,” said James.
On Monday, the two players will begin practicing again with the team, said James. Both were suspended from the team indefinitely on Nov. 16 for violating the student athlete code of conduct. Monday’s practice will mark the first time since that suspension that Hamilton and Clark have been allowed to touch the ice with the Black Bears hockey team.
James believes the student athletes, and the team, have handled the proceedings as best as possible.
“I think they have handled it as well as anyone can handle the situation,” said James. “I think our team recognized the seriousness of the issue and did what they could to continue to move forward as a team, to the best of their abilities.”
Both Roberts and James believe they have a clear picture of what happened on Nov. 13, when the pair confronted a man who had been involved with Hamilton’s ex-girlfriend. The man was later identified as member of the baseball team.
Along with Clark and four other hockey players, Hamilton arrived at the apartment at around 9:30 p.m hoping to confront the 21-year-old. Upon realizing that his ex-girlfriend was in the house, Hamilton assaulted the ballplayer in the apartment doorway. The fight later spilled inside to the kitchen.
It was found that the argument between Hamilton and the baseball player, who had been at the apartment with the female, escalated when another roommate in the apartment approached the door with a baseball bat.
Clark’s attorney, Jeffrey Silverstein of Bangor, said after the hearing that Clark and his other teammates tried to prevent the situation from intensifying when they saw the roommate approach with a bat.
Jumping into the apartment at this time were Travis Wight, of Fannystelle, Manitoba; Brent Shepheard, of Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia; Bret Tyler, of Maynard, Mass., and Rob Bellamy, of Westfield, Mass. Each was charged with criminal trespass in connection with the fight.
During the tussle, which lasted three to five minutes, the victim was punched and kicked. After the initial fight, a group of hockey players and others left the apartment. With the others gone, the injured man phoned his friends and had them drive him to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. The victim received stitches over his left eye and was released, police said. He reported the incident upon leaving the center.
Roberts noted on Thursday that the victim asked that no charges be pressed against Hamilton. The prosecutors expressed concern that a more serious charge on Hamilton’s record would make it difficult for him to enter the United States in the future.
The four players who were charged with criminal trespass are scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 23. Those players have been offered a plea agreement similar to the one given to Clark. Each must perform 100 hours of community service and the charges will be dropped.
On Nov. 19, each was suspended for one game against the U.S under-18 team. That game was an exhibition match. Shepherd, however, received a four-game suspension. He returned to the team this Saturday against Northeastern.
James said that any further action taken from a team perspective will be enforced by UMaine head coach Tim Whitehead.
“What Tim Whitehead does with the team is separate. That is something I will leave up to him,” said James.
Hamilton has played in nine games and recorded three assists for the Black Bears this year, while Clark has yet to start a game. Both players were injured when the suspensions were imposed.
Bangor Daily News