Hockey player charged with disorderly conduct

ERIE, Pa. (AP) _ A minor-league hockey player was criminally charged for throwing his stick, which bounced and hit a 12-year-old boy in the stands, during a playoff game. <br><br>Brampton Battalion forward

Sunday, April 15th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

ERIE, Pa. (AP) _ A minor-league hockey player was criminally charged for throwing his stick, which bounced and hit a 12-year-old boy in the stands, during a playoff game.

Brampton Battalion forward Lukas Havel, 19, was charged with disorderly conduct Saturday immediately after the team lost 5-4 to the Erie Otters in an Ontario Hockey League game.

In the second period, Havel was ejected from the game for throwing punches from the bench. He then threw his hockey stick in frustration, and it bounced off a pole or other part of the rink at Tullio Arena in Erie, Erie Police Lt. D.J. Fuhrmann said.

The boy, who was not identified by police, was hit in the stomach but was not seriously hurt.

``This meets the criteria for disorderly conduct, although it was not at all intentional,'' Fuhrmann said.

Stan Butler, Brampton's coach and hockey operations director, did not immediately return a message left Sunday at the team offices in Ontario.

Havel is a native of Jihlava in the Czech Republic and is eligible for this year's NHL Entry Draft. He had 20 goals and 31 assists in 56 regular season games this year and one goal and six assists in eight playoff games.

The loss ended Brampton's season. Erie advanced to a playoff series with the Plymouth Whalers.