Ex-first rounder details disturbing ‘fighting” scandal in San Jose!

A bombshell was dropped by Robert Rampa of the Czech-language news organization iDNES, and the English translation has now reached the NHL. This past season, forward Martin Kaut spent most of his time with the San Jose Sharks organization and its AHL affiliate, but decided to return to HC Dynamo Pardubice of Czech Extraliga this summer. He revealed why he left, creating quite the scandal in San Jose.

The former first-rounder, who was selected 16th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2018, claims that a coach from the club’s AHL affiliate pressured him to fight opponents almost every night. He alleges the coaching staff attempted to coerce him into fighting more with one coach picking an opponent for him to fight “before each game.” Kaut was told that if he fought more often, he would be in the NHL.

“He said that’s why I don’t play in the NHL,” Kaut said to Rampa of iDnes, as translated by San Jose Hockey Now .

“I’ve had three concussions and injured my shoulder twice. If I fought the guys they picked for me, I’d go down and still get hurt. He made me fight anyway, it really bothered me. I would have fought for any good reason, no question. When the game’s sold out, it escalates, or when you’re defending a teammate. But to fight someone just for the sake of it? I’m supposed to be on the ice to score goals.”

Kaut, who came to San Jose in a trade from the Avalanche on January 25th, took part in nine games fir the Sharks last season, and the team denied their former player’s claims on Monday in a statement.

“We have been made aware of comments attributed to Martin Kaut stating that he was pressured to deliberately instigate a physical engagement with opposing players on the ice. Let us be unequivocally clear that no such direction was ever given or insinuated by the members of the Sharks or Barracuda coaching or hockey staffs.”

In those nine aforementioned games, Kaut put up three goals and five points, while posting three goals and 14 points with the Barracuda.

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