Lightning’s Bradley Irate Over Malingerer Charge

Sidelined Tampa Bay Lightning center Brian Bradley already was suffering from dizziness, headaches and other ailments. Now, he’s having problems with teammate Dino Ciccarelli.

Bradley says he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be well enough to play hockey again, but knows he never wants to play again with Ciccarelli.

Ciccarelli questioned Bradley’s desire in the wake of the Lightning’s 3-0 loss Wednesday at Dallas, suggesting Bradley is healthy enough to play but “doesn’t want to.”

Bradley reacted angrily, issuing a tearful ultimatum to Lightning General Manager Phil Esposito, while saying his career might be over as a result of head and wrist injuries.

“I will never play on the same team as Dino Ciccarelli,” Bradley said. “That gutless little puke. He’s a back-stabber. . . . Either he goes or I go. That’s it.”

Bradley missed the last 13 games because of recurring headaches and dizziness associated with a concussion suffered Nov. 6 against the Kings at the Forum. He also has been complaining recently about soreness in his right wrist, which was badly sprained last season and which forced him to miss all but three of the Lightning’s last 41 games.

Several other Lightning players expressed concern Friday about Bradley’s absence.

“Look, no one ever questioned Brian’s concussion and the headaches,” defenseman Jamie Huscroft told the Tampa Tribune. “We’ve all had them and we know how bad that is.

“But when the wrist thing came up it was like, ‘What, now it’s his wrist?’ That’s what everybody’s wondering about.”

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Referees Mark Faucette, Kerry Fraser and Bill McCreary were among seven NHL on-ice officials selected to work the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

The three referees will join veteran linesmen Gord Broseker, Kevin Collins, Gerard Gauthier and Ray Scapinello in Japan while the NHL takes an unprecedented 2 1/2-week hiatus. The rest of the Olympic officiating staff will be composed of six referees and nine linesmen from the International Ice Hockey Federation.

In addition, NHL referee Dan Marouelli and linesman Brian Murphy will serve as alternate officials.