Edge opponent Royce White suspended for 11 games after incident in St. John's
London Lightning star to miss Sunday's game against the Edge
Former NBL Canada MVP Royce White has been suspended for 10 games after multiple people recorded an incident during Thursday night's win over the St. John's Edge.
White, a star player with the London Lightning, had strong words with the league's deputy commissioner, Audley Stephenson, as the game ended.
"I'd rather not disclose [what he said] but I can say that it wasn't appropriate and it certainly wasn't respectful," said Stephenson.
Royce White is now screaming at the deputy commissioner. I have never seen this in sports and I have covered junior C hockey in the rural Maritimes. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbcnl?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cbcnl</a> <a href="https://t.co/9CeW43qnSr">pic.twitter.com/9CeW43qnSr</a>
—@ryancookeNLWhite took issue with descriptions from onlookers that he had been screaming at Stephenson.
"'Screaming' is so sensationalized," White tweeted.
"Moral and ethical judgements from the culturally decadent only falls on deaf ears," he added.
That’s GAME. MVP... like I said. “Screaming” is so sensationalized. Moral and ethical judgements from the culturally decadent only falls on deaf ears. There’s a lot you haven’t seen, you live in Newfoundland. Not many, if any, APEX predators like me... live on THE ROCK. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeWell?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeWell</a>
—@Highway_30White has been at the centre of controversy during the three games played at Mile One Centre during the Central Division Finals.
Fans accused him of using a homophobic slur, which White denies, during last Saturday's game.
When the Lightning's lineup was announced Thursday, White was greeted with a chorus of boos from the crowd of 4,500 at Mile One.
After fouling out in the fourth quarter, White — who put up a game-high 37 points along with nine assists — stood at the end of the Lightning bench.
When the final buzzer sounded, and with London winning 130-127, White was seen having the exchange with Stephenson.
"We deemed his conduct detrimental to the league. As a result, he received a 10-game suspension for his actions," Stephenson said.
The 11th game of White's suspension is due to the fact that White was also assessed a technical foul during Thursday's game, meaning he would have been forced to sit out Sunday's game in London regardless.
Under league rules, when a player is issued seven technical fouls there is an automatic one-game suspension.
It couldn't come at a worse time for the Lightning, who lead the divisional finals best-of-seven series 3-2.
"A suspension at this time of year certainly is not a good thing, but in this case it's deemed necessary," Stephenson said.
"It's not a great feeling either, [but] in terms of sticking to the integrity of the league and its values, we certainly have to uphold that."
The St. John's Edge are on the brink of elimination and will have to beat London on their home court Sunday at 3:30 p.m. NT to stay alive.