University
      of
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Kent
      Driscoll
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      an
      eventful
      week
      of
     
     
      off-ice
      action,
      all
      22
      of
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      hockey
      Panthers
      re-
     
     
      quested
      the
      resignation
      of
     
     
      Head
      Coach
      Doug
      Currie
     
     
      three
      times
      during
      the
      week
     
     
      of
      January
      13.
     
    

    
     
      Team
      Captain
      Todd
     
     
      Walker
      cited
      irreconcilable
     
     
      differences
      between
      the
     
     
      team
      and
      the
      coach,
      as
      well
     
     
      as
      a
      fundamental
      lack
      of
     
     
      respect
      from
      Currietowards
     
     
      the
      players.
      The
      feelings
      of
     
     
      the
      team
      were
      summed
      up
     
     
      by
      one
      hockey
      Panther:
      “he
     
     
      doesn’t
      treat
      us
      like
      peo-
     
     
      ple.”
      The
      Panthers
      refused
     
     
      to
      comment
      on
      the
      specific
     
     
      nature
      of
      the
      problems.
     
    

    
     
      The
      response
      of
      the
     
     
      university
      administration
     
     
      has
      been
      to
      back
      Coach
     
     
      Currie
      during
      his
      troubles
     
     
      with
      the
      team.
      According
     
     
      to
      UPEI
      Athletic
      Director
     
     
      Barb
      Mullally,
      “we
      have
      to
     
     
      respect
      due
      process,
      fairness
     
     
      to
      all
      sides
      and
      the
      contract
     
     
      we
      have
      with
      Coach
     
     
      Currie.”
      Mullally
      also
     
     
      stated
      in
      a
      later
      interview
     
     
      that
      “the
      players
      do
      not
      pick
     
     
      the
      coach.”
     
    

    
     
      According
      to
      Mullally,
     
     
      this
      is
      the
      first
      discontent
      of
     
     
      which
      she
      has
      heard,
      and
     
     
      also
      went
      on
      to
      discuss
     
     
      Currie’s
      player
      evaluations.
     
     
      It
      is
      the
      practice
      of
      UPEI
     
     
      Athletics
      to
      have
      their
      play-
     
     
      ers
      evaluate
      the
      coach
      at
      the
     
     
      end
      of
      the
      season,
      much
      like
     
     
      students
      do
      for
      professors.
     
     
      Upon
      the
      onset
      of
      this
      cri-
     
     
      sis,
      Mullally
      looked
      over
     
     
      last
      year's
      evaluations
      of
     
     
      Currie,
      which
      were
      filled
     
     
      out
      by
      his
      players,
      and
      char-
     
     
      acterized
      them
      as
      “outstand-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mutiny
      on
      the
      Bounty
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hockey
      Panthers
      Call
      for
      Currie
      to
      Quit
     
    
   
   
    
     
      >
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mullally
      and
      UPEI
     
     
      President
      Elizabeth
      Epperly
     
     
      stated
      on
      CBC’s
      Compass
     
     
      that
      they
      believe
      these
      prob-
     
     
      lems
      to
      be
      a
      response
      to
     
     
      rumours
      that
      Currie
      was
     
     
      considering
      applying
      for
      the
     
     
      head
      coach
      position
      at
     
     
      Acadia.
     
    

    
     
      The
      players
      have
     
     
      stated
      that
      the
      problems
      go
     
     
      back
      as
      far
      as
      September
     
     
      1995,
      when
      Doug
      Currie
     
     
      replaced
      Billy
      MacMillian
     
     
      as
      the
      head
      coach.
      Todd
     
     
      Walker
      stated
      on
      behalf
      of
     
     
      the
      team
      that
      “the
      Acadia
     
     
      situation
      was
      just
      the
      straw
     
     
      that
      broke
      the
      camel’s
     
     
      back.”
     
    

    
     
      During
      the
      Compass
     
     
      interview,
      Epperly
      stated,
     
     
      “the
      players
      were
      upset
      at
     
     
      the
      possibility
      oflosing
      their
     
     
      coach.”
      This
      is
      inconsist-
     
     
      ent
      with
      statements
      made
     
     
      by
      the
      players,
      who
      had
      pre-
     
     
      viously
      asked
      Currie
      to
      re-
     
     
      sign
      three
      times.
      As
      one
     
     
      hockey
      fan
      put
      it,
      “when
     
     
      you
      are
      afraid
      of
      losing
     
     
      someone,
      you
      don’t
      try
      to
     
     
      make
      him
      quit.”
      Dr.
      Epperly
     
     
      was
      not
      available
      for
      rebut-
     
     
      tal
      nor
      comment
      at
      press
     
     
      time.
     
    

    
     
      Another
      issue
      with
      the
     
     
      Acadia
      head
      coaching
      situ-
     
     
      ation
      is
      the
      validity
      of
      the
     
     
      rumour.
      According
      to
     
     
      Mullally,
      the
      rumour
      was
     
     
      “completely
      false,”
      and
     
     
      Currie
      himself
      added
      that
     
     
      he
      was
      quoted
      out
      of
      con-
     
     
      text.
      When
      questioned
      about
     
     
      the
      context
      of
      the
      quotes,
     
     
      and
      the
      truth
      of
      the
      rumour,
     
     
      John
      McNeil,
      Sports
      Writer
     
     
      for
      the
      Halifax
      Daily
      News
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      the
      author
      of
      the
      arti-
     
     
      cles
      in
      question
      responded,
     
     
      "what
      I
      wrote
      is
      what
      they
     
     
      said."
     
    

    
     
      The
      quotes
      in
      question
     
     
      were
      made
      by
      Currie's
      wife,
     
     
      Stephanie,
      who,
      when
      asked
     
     
      about
      whether
      Currie
      was
     
     
      considering
      applying
      for
      the
     
     
      Acadia
      job,
      reportedly
      re-
     
     
      sponded,
      “it’s
      true.
      He’s
      ex-
     
     
      cited
      and
      I’m
      certainly
      ex-
     
     
      cited
      for
      him.
      You
      never
     
     
      know.
      We
      look
      forward
      to
     
     
      finding
      out.”
     
    

    
     
      McNeil
      also
      reports
     
     
      that
      during
      a
      lengthy
      con-
     
     
      versation,
      the
      Panther
      coach
     
     
      mused
      about
      how
      simple
      it
     
     
      would
      be
      to
      switch
      his
      re-
     
     
      cruiting
      at
      this
      point,
      by
     
     
      quipping
      “that
      fax
      that
      I
      sent,
     
     
      throw
      it
      in
      the
      garbage.
     
     
      There’s
      a
      new
      one
      coming
     
     
      in.
      It’s
      not
      a
      P,
      it’s
      an
      A.”
     
     
      According
      to
      MacNeil,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Currie
      also
      added,
      “
      I
      can
     
     
      pick
      up
      and
      leave...
      but
      it’s
     
     
      not
      exactly
      an
      easy
      deci-
     
     
      sion.”
     
    

    
     
      Currie
      later
      stated
      to
     
     
      Charlottetown’s
      Guardian
     
     
      that
      “I’m
      not
      going
      any-
     
     
      where.
      It’s
      ridiculous.
      I
     
     
      haven’t
      applied.”
      Mullally
     
     
      confirms
      that
      statement
      by
     
     
      saying,
      “according
      to
     
     
      [Acadia
      Hockey
      Chair]
      Don
     
     
      Wells,
      Doug
      Currie
      never
     
     
      applied
      for
      the
      position,
      and
     
     
      the
      deadline
      was
      Friday
      the
     
     
      17th."
     
    

    
     
      The
      Panthers
      have
     
     
      taken
      a_
      blast
      from
      the
     
     
      Charlottetown
      media
      for
      not
     
     
      revealing
      the
      facts
      surround-
     
     
      ing
      their
      displeasure
      with
     
     
      Currie.
      According
      to
      one
     
     
      local
      columnist,
      the
      Pan-
     
     
      thers
      were
      “a
      bunch
      of
     
     
      crybabies”.
      By
      not
      describ-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ARCHIVES
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Panther
      Prints
      “
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Building
      Death
      lars
      Siang
      1969
     
    
   
   
    
     
      U.P.E.L
     
    
   
   
    
     
      January
      28,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      in
      detail
      to
      any
      media
     
     
      outlet
      the
      nature
      of
      their
     
     
      problems
      with
      Currie,
      the
     
     
      Panthers
      are
      now
      receiving
     
     
      much
      of
      the
      pressure
      that
     
     
      was
      originally
      falling
      upon
     
     
      him.
      Also,
      due
      to
      his
      silence
     
     
      and
      due
      to
      the
      defence
      of
     
     
      the
      University,
      Currie
      is
     
     
      now
      avoiding
      much
      of
      the
     
     
      original
      criticism
      he
      re-
     
     
      ceived.
     
    

    
     
      The
      burden
      of
      proof
     
     
      has
      been
      placed
      upon
      the
     
     
      shoulders
      of
      the
      Panthers.
     
     
      When
      questioned
      about
      this,
     
     
      team
      member
      Clarke
      Trol-
     
     
      ley
      stated,
      "all
      we
      want
      to
     
     
      do
      nowis
      makethe
      playoffs.
     
     
      At
      this
      point,
      we
      are
      play-
     
     
      ing
      for
      the
      students,
      the
      uni-
     
     
      versity,
      the
      fans,
      the
      com-
     
     
      munity
      and
      Prince
      Edward
     
     
      Island.
      The
      rest
      of
      this
      can
     
     
      come
      out
      at
      a
      later
      date.”