Trasher allegedly attacks opposing coach

DANBURY - Fights in hockey games aren't unusual. Especially, in the minor leagues, fights are considered part of the attraction.

But it's almost always players fighting opposing players.On Wednesday night, a Danbury Trashers player allegedly attacked the coach of the Adirondack Frostbite team during a fight-marred first period of a United Hockey League game, the coach said."What transpired tonight is disgusting," said Marc Potvin , the Adirondack coach and a former National Hockey League player. "I believe the league will respond in a manner as harshly and severely as they have dealt with other issues in this league."The player, Chad Wagner , is known for rough play. In a minor league career that began in 1995, the native of Calgary, Alberta in Canada has totaled more than 400 penalty minutes in three separate seasons. In his best year, he scored 10 goals.Wagner, who is nearly 6-foot-1 and weighs 225 pounds, hadn't played professionally since the 2001-02 season until he was signed recently by the Trashers, according to one minor league hockey Web site that tracks players.He has played two games with the Trashers.In the first game, last week against Adirondack, Wagner started a fight with Frostbite star Sylvan Cloutier , amassed 43 penalty minutes and was thrown out of the game.On the way out of the stadium in Glens Falls, N.Y., Wagner got into a scuffle with a fan, according to the Post-Star newspaper in Glens Falls.On Wednesday, Wagner and several other players on both teams got into a fight about 12 minutes into the first period. As the officials tried to escort Wagner to the locker room, he broke away and headed toward the Adirondack bench."I saw the fight breaking out on the Adirondack bench," said Trashers coach Todd Stirling . "I don't know who (Wagner) was going after because I didn't see it. But I can't confirm that he was going after Potvin."Earlier this season, Trashers owner James E. Galante was arrested after getting into an altercation with a linesman. The case hasn't been settled.On Wednesday, a Danbury police officer said he had heard there were a number of fights at Wednesday night's hockey game, but no investigation was under way.