The Powassan Voodoos have issued a release involving the late January firing of Coach Beau Moyer.

The NOJHL Club says he failed to live up to contractual commitments.

The team says there were issues with behaviour, incidents of socializing with players, including a Hearst drinking event with players of age, and failing to show up for a team practice.

The Voodoos also say there were situations between the coach and players’ parents that resulted in one player being traded and another leaving the team.

Jim Bruce, president of the ownership group commented, “Moving forward, the Voodoos players and staff are the
priority of the ownership. Our team goals remain the same: NOJHL Championship, Dudley Cup and RBC.”

 

Here is the full release from the team:

POWASSAN, ON: Beau Moyer, the Head Coach of the Powassan Voodoos hockey club of the NOJHL, has been terminated by the team’s ownership effective January 29th, 2018.

Local boy Moyer, hired in July 2017, did not live up to his contractual commitments with the Voodoos. The Voodoos ownership team was compelled to terminate, with cause, their relationship with Moyer.

Issues with Moyer’s behaviour dated back to October of 2017. His conduct was brought forward by the NOJHL Commissioner, Robert Mazzuca, and discipline was brought against him. Additionally, he failed to follow directives from the team’s management and ownership. He failed to attend a team practice in November leaving the players to conduct their own practice session to which he received reprimand. It was brought to the attention of ownership that Moyer was socializing with players on a regular basis. A situation, explained to him, that had to stop on account of player coaching decisions and optics with the hockey community. On a road trip to play the Hearst Lumber Jacks in December, Moyer was photographed in a bar with Voodoos players of legal drinking age consuming alcohol – a clear breach of conduct set out in his contract. Moyer advised this was the second time it happened in Hearst. The league commissioner ordered an investigation resulting in an indefinite suspension until a hearing could be held. The Voodoos ownership team scrambled to find a temporary replacement coach who led the team in a home game the next day. Bruce Cazabon was retained as a co-coach. There will be some positive announcements regarding coaching in the very near future.

The ownership group determined it best for Moyer to remove himself from day-to-day operations until the outcome of the Commissioner’s investigation is known.

A further situation arose between parents of two players and Moyer. The first resulted in Voodoos General Manager Chris Dawson removing a player via trade to another team at the end of November. The second situation had a player leaving the team in January 2018 for another league outside of the Canadian Junior Hockey League due to alleged mental abuse and harassment. This information was forwarded to the NOJHL.

The Commissioner’s ruling was brought down for the Hearst drinking event which included four conditions:
1. 15 game suspension
2. $2,500 bond
3. Two years probation
4. Supervision on road trips by assistant coaches which are to be reported to the Commissioner the day following
overnight trips.

The ownership group has concluded that these conditions are too restrictive and have a monetary attachment they are not prepared to assume.

The ownership team, General Manager and management met with Moyer on January 29th, 2018 stating they were going to go in a different direction and requested his resignation. He declined. He was then terminated with cause effective January 29th, 2018. Moyer asked to speak with the players and coaches but that request was denied.

Jim Bruce, president of the ownership group commented, “Moving forward, the Voodoos players and staff are the
priority of the ownership. Our team goals remain the same: NOJHL Championship, Dudley Cup and RBC.”

The Voodoos ownership group is comprised of five successful North Bay area businessmen, including: President Jim
Bruce, his son Graeme, Ray Seguin and the two Rivet brothers, Marc and Dan. This group of five are passionate about hockey and are committed to making the Powassan Voodoos a first class NOJHL franchise.

The Powassan Voodoos hockey club is one of the newest teams to join the NOJHL, playing their fourth season proudly out of Powassan, Ontario which is located twenty minutes outside of North Bay.

The goal of the team’s management and owners is to put a highly competitive team on the ice to which players, coaches and local residents are proud to call their own. The Voodoos have the exclusivity of being the only NOJHL team to have an official affiliation with an OHL team. They are honoured to be affiliated with the North Bay Battalion.

The Voodoos play out of the The Sportsplex Community Recreation Centre which is located at 433 Main Street in Powassan.

For more information on the Voodoos hockey club: www.voodooshockey.com