Mantha gets fired

Moe Mantha (right) all smiles at the Windsor press conference this summer alongside owner Steve Riolo. On Friday that relationship ended when the Spits terminated his contract as coach and G.M. Photo courtesy the Windsor Star.


Moe Mantha was officially let go by the Windsor Spitfires on Friday, the same day the Sturgeon Falls native was eligible to return to his coaching duties after serving a portion of a harsh penalty handed down to him by the Ontario Hockey League.

Mantha was given a 15 game suspension as coach and a 40 game suspension as G.M. of the Windsor Spitfires after news came out about a hazing incident on a team bus on September 9th and an on-ice fight between 2005 1st round pick Akim Alui and Steve Downie at a practice on September 28th.

In a statement, Spitfires owner Steve Riolo said Mantha's deal was terminated after a review of the terms of his employment revealed a number of incidents the club thought was detrimental to the players of the team. Since Mantha was eligible to return to the Spitfires on Friday, Riolo felt that was the right time to make the move.

As well, Riolo indicated there would be no financial compensation for Mantha, who was in the first year of a three-year contract.

"I don't feel I owe Moe anything," Riolo told the Windsor Star.

However some Spitfire players believe they are the ones to blame for Mantha’s suspension and release early in his first season with the Spitfires franchise.

"The only reason he got fired is because of us," Spitfires forward Brett Liscomb said afterward. "I feel bad for him."

Mantha has hired Toronto lawyer Brian Greenspan and he said Friday he would be holding a press conference in his office to discuss things Tuesday.

"This was not meant as a punishment for Moe Mantha," Greenspan said of the 40-game suspension and one-year ban as GM.

With files from the Windsor Star