Player Files Police Report After Altercation

The Bullfrogs’ Chad Wagner apparently expressed remorse Thursday for the postgame punch that broke the nose of an Orlando Surge player.

The incident, which took place as the teams shook hands after the Bullfrogs’ 5-4 victory in the Major League Roller Hockey championship game, may have legal ramifications for Wagner.

He was named in a police report for battery against Orlando’s Alex Alepin, though an Anaheim Police spokesman said the victim did not press charges. Alepin has six months to do so, if he chooses.

Bullfrog Coach Todd Gordon spoke to Wagner on Thursday.

“Chad didn’t play much in the game. Their player was chirping at him throughout the game and Chad just snapped--that’s my understanding,” Gordon said. “Chad was very remorseful. He’s faxing a letter of apology to the league and the Surge expressing his regret and how deeply sorry he is that he embarrassed the league and mocked a great game.”

Wagner could not be reached for comment. Gordon said after the game it was “the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Gordon said of his Thursday conversation that Wagner “couldn’t even fathom it; he doesn’t know why it happened; he was shocked by it.”

But the Surge’s Kirk Llano, who saw the incident, was convinced it was premeditated.

“He was the only guy on either team that didn’t take his gloves off as the teams came out to shake hands,” Llano said. “Alex was talking to [Bullfrog] goalie [Rob Laurie], congratulating him with his head turned to the side. [Alepin] couldn’t see it coming, he couldn’t see the punch. Nobody could have known [Wagner] was going to do that, an unfathomable cheap shot from a guy who has established himself as a cheap-shot artist anyway.

“Within seconds of doing it, he skated right off the ice. He immediately fled.”