Team facing injury suit

he news keeps getting worse for the Calgary Canucks Junior B hockey team.

Already suspended from play as an investigation into an off-ice melee which left a linesman knocked out continues, the team is facing a nearly $1-million lawsuit.

Court documents obtained by the Sun, show the squad has been named in a claim filed over an incident unrelated to last Sunday's clash at Stu Peppard Arena.

Former Calgary Royals' Junior B player Zaccary Epp is seeking damages of $944,000 after he says he was illegally checked, head first, into the boards two years ago.

Epp's lawsuit, filed by personal injury lawyer Ed Pipella, says the neck injury suffered during the hit ended his hopes of an NHL career.

"Like every young man has, he had hopes of playing for the Flames," Pipella told the Sun.

The lawsuit says Epp was playing for the Royals on Oct. 10, 2004, at Stu Peppard when he was checked from behind by Ca-nuck Will Le-Blanc. The claim, which also names the game's linesmen, alleges the officials failed to make an icing call which would have prevented the hit in the first place.

Statements of defence disputing the unproven allegations in Epp's claim have not yet been filed.