Former Northern Michigan University associate head coach Dave Shyiak was recently fired from his head coaching position at the University of Alaska Anchorage after posting his eighth consecutive losing season. And now that may be the least of his troubles.
According to an article in the Anchorage Daily News, Shyiak is accused of striking a player with his hockey stick "baseball-style" during a practice in January 2011 after the player failed to perform a drill correctly, then instructing the team to deny the incident if asked about it.
Former Seawolves forward Mickey Spencer made the allegations in a letter to University of Alaska president Patrick Gamble.
"He tomahawked, lumber-jacked -- whatever you want to call it -- him across the thigh on his (hockey) pants," Spencer said. "We knew this wasn't a small deal, it's kind of a big deal. I've seen a coach break a stick over a goalpost or the glass because he's pissed about something, but I've never seen one take out his anger on a player."
UAA forward Nick Haddad, who was on the receiving end of Shyiak's stick according to Spencer, denied a rumor of the incident back in 2011. When asked by the Daily News about Spencer's allegation, he told them "No comment."
Shyiak's lawyer Kevin Fitzgerald admits an incident did occur, but denies the severity of the event.
"(Shyiak) confirms he did strike Nick's knee pads with his stick," Fitzgerald said. "It wasn't an assault. It was, in essence, an attempt to get Nick's attention. It wasn't designed to injure Nick. It didn't cause any injury. Nick didn't report to the trainer, didn't suffer an injury, didn't go to the hospital."
Fitzgerald is also suspicious of the timing of the letter and believes it is being used in an effort to oust UAA athletic director Steve Cobb, who has been under fire for his handling of the coaching search to replace Shyiak. Both the Alaska State Hockey Association and the UAA Hockey Alumni Association issued votes of no-confidence after feeling alienated from the process.
An investigation in to Shyiak's actions is now being conducted by Stephen Goetz of the University of Alaska Fairbanks police department.
You can read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News website.
Shyiak was a member of the NMU Wildcats hockey team from 1987-1991 and a co-captain of the 1991 NCAA national championship team. He began his coaching career as a student assistant under Rick Comley at NMU in 1992-93, then returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 1995. Shyiak was a finalist for the NMU head coach position after Comley left for Michigan State University in 2002, but the job went to current Wildcat coach Walt Kyle. He was kept on the staff as an associate head coach for three years before accepting the head coaching job at UAA in 2005.