Russian Hockey Rocked As Team Doctor Alleges Coach Beat Him

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's champion ice hockey team SKA St. Petersburg has been rocked by allegations that its head coach punched and kicked the team doctor, leaving him badly hurt.

Egor Kozlov told Russian newspaper Sport-Express on Thursday that he had been hospitalized with a head injury, concussion and bruising to the chest following the alleged clash with coach Andrei Nazarov.

Kozlov, who was named the Kontinental Hockey League's best doctor last season, says Nazarov had tried to force him out of the club and attacked him during a meeting with management after Kozlov said he wanted time to think about a proposed severance package.

Nazarov has not commented on the allegations, although SKA denied any "conflict" involving Kozlov in a statement Wednesday, saying that any claims to the contrary were "no more than a provocation by interested parties."