The Wisconsin State Journal reported Thursday that Wisconsin men’s hockey coach Mike Eaves used physical force and profanities during a confrontation with a Badger hockey player Nov. 23.
The incident, which involved sophomore forward Alex Leavitt, took place at the Holiday Inn in Grand Forks, N.D., following a 3-2 loss to WCHA foe North Dakota.
The confrontation was supposedly rooted in Leavitt’s poor attitude and violation of the team’s curfew. These tensions caused the situation to bubble over at which point Leavitt says he was “pushed back a good 10 or 15 feet and thrown down into a chair and pinned up against the wall in the chair” by the first-year coach. Leavitt suffered an abrasion on his neck and a torn shirt. After the confrontation Eaves launched into a 10-minute rant.
At first denying the incident, Leavitt now says the altercation is “major” and cites the scuffle as the cause of his diminishing minutes, which include being a healthy scratch the last three games.
Leavitt, who met privately with Eaves Wednesday, was told he would be in the lineup against St. Cloud State this weekend. Leavitt replied, “I’d rather not play.”
When inquired about whether he would depart from the Badger squad, Leavitt said “I don’t want to quit on [the team].”
Multiple meetings in Madison have been conducted between Eaves, Leavitt, Leavitt’s father (who requested that Eaves be fired), Leavitt’s attorney, UW athletic director Pat Ritcher and associate athletic director Cheryl Marra.
Eaves made comments yesterday afternoon acknowledging that the altercation did in fact happen and the actions of his meetings with the Leavitt family and the athletic department.
“Upon returning to Madison, I met with the Leavitt family, their representatives and athletic department administrators,” Eaves said. “I apologized for my actions at North Dakota. We met and left with a mutual understanding of what was expected of me, and I have fulfilled all of those requirements. I regret the incident at UND and feel we have put it in the past and established a plan for the future.”
In their report, the Wisconsin State Journal also confirmed that Eaves now has a letter of reprimand in his personal file and was also ordered to speak to the team regarding the spat.
“Understandably, this has been a difficult season for the men’s hockey team,” said Ritcher. “But I have complete confidence that Mike is the right coach for this program.”
