A bad call made one assistant hockey coach lose more than his cool – he lost his shirt.
And shoes, too.
Greg Pankewicz, an assistant coach for the Colorado Eagles professional hockey team, started stripping after a referee pushed an Eagles player in a game earlier this week.
While it's unclear exactly what angered Pankewicz, a video posted on YouTube shows an ice-clearing brawl ending with a ref steering an Eagles player back to the team’s bench. Pankewicz then strips off his jacket, shirt and finally shoes before heading to the locker room
The striptease didn't detract from the team's play, however. The Eagles went on to win the game 5-1.
"We played very well tonight, and moved the puck well all night," head coach Chris Stewart said after the game. "If there's one thing that I thought we could have improved on, it was burying our chances that we did have.”
Pankewicz, meanwhile, might not be spotted on the bench for a little while. He was suspended for the remainder of the regular season for the impromptu performance.
"The automatic suspension of one game, and a fine came from throwing items onto the ice," Central Hockey League Director of Operations Bob Huffan said.
But the 40-year-old Pankewicz probably earned more notoriety than he's ever had in his playing and coaching career - at least with non-hockey fans. As of Thursday afternoon, one video showing him stripping had garnered more than 425,000 views.
"And all this time I thought Greg Pankewicz was a regular member of society. Now I just love him!" one user tweeted.
Pankewicz joined the coaching staff of the Eagles in 2009 after 18 years of playing. His jersey was retired that year.
nmandell@nydailynews.com
With Wire News Services
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