[FONT="]Former Bismarck High boys hockey head coach Mike Peluso sat down with KX Sports Sunday to expand on his staff's decision to step down collectively from the program.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Peluso said that while the recent coaching departures at Fargo Davies and Grand Forks Red River over allegations of using intimidating language factored into the decision, it was not the only reason. Peluso said it was a combination of things building up over the years.[/FONT]
[FONT="]"With some of the things that are coming up and we're continuing to fight and try to make better--whether it's trying to change the classification system for hockey in North Dakota, whether it's trying to get more games in our schedule, what have you--Every time we tried to do something to make things better, we got basically told no," Peluso said.[/FONT]
[FONT="]"When you continue to run up against road blocks, whether that's the state, maybe an administration, maybe it's other coaches, or maybe it's officials, you get tired. You get tired of having to fight the fight."[/FONT]
[FONT="]Peluso went on to cite a dispute from this season in which a referee allegedly fabricated penalties against BHS players in the official score sheet after a game. Peluso said those claims resulted in short suspensions for himself and captain Caleb Petrie.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The NDHSAA and Bismarck athletic director could not be reached for comment.[/FONT]
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SDMF nailed it and this is worth repeating in case anyone missed it.
"So here you’ve got a guy who’s 43-44yrs old, grew up in Bismarck, made it to the highest level that hockey has in the world, and then moves home and accepts the job coaching where he played high-scool hockey himself. It’s a “Storybook” situation. A public school can’t competitvely pay for such a situation, the person has to have it in their heart to take that position.
What a shame when folks with those sort of immeasurable over-qualification decide that the climate is no longer worth the effort. I don’t blame them one bit. IMO, all of ND hockey will suffer this loss."