Two Fans Are Injured in Roller Hockey Fracas : Incident: Remark by coach to opposing player triggers fight in New Haven, Conn.

A remark by former NHL player Bernie Federko was blamed for triggering a postgame incident in roller hockey that resulted in injuries to two fans and Mace being sprayed.

The incident occurred Friday night after a Roller Hockey International game in which the St. Louis Vipers beat the Connecticut Coasters, 6-5, in a shootout.

Coaster assistant coach Rob Hyrtsak said the argument started when Federko, the Viper coach who played 14 years in the NHL, said to the Coasters’ Berkley Hoagland, the only black player on either team: “Why don’t you go play basketball?”

Hoagland confirmed that’s what Federko said.

“What can I say?” Hoagland said. “He certainly was unprofessional.”

Federko, who said beer had been poured on him by fans during the game, said he was only going out to congratulate his goalie when the argument started.

Randy St. Claire Jr. of West Haven, Conn., and concessionaire Joe Chieppo, who were near the tunnel leading to the Vipers’ locker room, were injured. St. Claire Jr. said he was slashed on the arm by one player swinging a stick. Chieppo said he was hit in the face with a stick, but he did not know who did it because he had been sprayed with Mace.

New Haven police said Saturday that no information was available on the incident.