GLASGOW Clan have suspended their chief executive and head coach after the aborted signing of a player who was accused of rape.
The ice hockey team announced the signing of Finnish defender Lasse Uusivirta on Thursday but backed out of the deal later that day with a brief statement on Twitter.
Chairman Neil Black released a further statement on Friday which read: “At 19.45 last night, I was made aware for the first time of a major situation which merits further internal investigation and this has led to the immediate suspension of both the Clan chief executive Gareth Chalmers & the Clan head coach Malcolm Cameron.”
Reports in the United States say that Uusivirta left the country in 2013 shortly after being arrested over the alleged rape of a fellow student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He was told he would not face extradition but would be arrested if he ever returned to the US.
The 33-year-old has since played for teams in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Austria and Italy.
Clan, who are bottom of the Premier Sports Elite League following four defeats from four games, have removed the story announcing the signing from their website and also taken down a video interview from YouTube in which an incident from Uusivirta’s past was reportedly addressed.
