The resignation of Doug Lidster as coach of the Saginaw Spirit following a confrontation with one of his players is a controversial topic in OHL circles. And it should be.

Hitting a player with the intent to injure is one thing. But poking a player in the chest to make a point is another, and the ever-present forces of political correctness have taken over another issue.

In this case, it has cost Lidster his career, and that's wrong.

Lidster stepped down on Monday, admitting that he poked goalie Mike Brown, a Boston Bruins draftee, in the chest following a verbal confrontation with the 19-year-old one week ago.

The relationship between Lidster, a first-year coach with Saginaw, and Brown had been tenuous at best. But it apparently came to a boiling point during a game on Nov. 18 against Erie when the goalie decided to re-enact the infamous Patrick Roy vs. Mario Tremblay bench incident.

GOALIE REMOVED

Lidster, who played 16 seasons in the NHL, pulled Brown during the game, but the goalie stayed in the crease after backup Aaron Rock arrived to relieve him.

When he finally left the crease, Brown also allegedly made a motion with his stick toward the coach as he skated toward the bench. He also threw off some of his equipment and glared at Lidster when he took a seat.

That's wrong. It's showing up the coach, and embarrassing to the team.

The friction between coach and player didn't end there, but it did when Lidster poked Brown in the chest, most likely from exasperation because of his inability to get his message through to the kid.

Before writing this, I thought about my own reaction had my son been in a similar situation, and I can't imagine being angry with the coach for trying to get a point across with a poke to the chest.

If my kid was being disrespectful and that behaviour resulted in the coach losing his cool, it would be my son -- not the coach -- I'd expect to make an apology.

It would be a different story if the coach took a swing, but a poke in the chest is a different matter.

Let's not forget that parents of OHL players place their faith and trust for the discipline and well-being of their boys in their coaches and the billets who welcome them into their homes.

How often have we heard players who have come and gone through Ottawa talk about how Brian Kilrea assumed a father-figure role in their lives?

The resignation by Lidster has sent an alarm through the OHL coaching fraternity.

Kilrea and his counterpart from the Oshawa Generals, Bob McGill, spoke about the issue prior to Friday's game at the Civic Centre.

'BOTTOM LINE'

"We've lost a fellow who was in the NHL who was going to give our league the experience of a professional player who has come back to help kids," said Kilrea.

"You've got to have discipline. That's the bottom line."

The most disconcerting part for the coaches is what the next step will be, now that a poke in the chest is on the taboo list.

How soon will it be when a player sues a coach for pain and mental anguish for being yelled at during practice? Or for getting benched for poor play?

These days, the rules are skewed everywhere you look, making it tougher for professionals like cops and school teachers to do their jobs when encountering the people they deal with on a daily basis.

Looks like you can add hockey coach to that list.

Lidster served as an assistant coach in the Western Hockey League and with the national women's program before landing the job in Saginaw.

He deserves another chance; if not in Saginaw, then somewhere else.

barre.campbell@ott.sunpub.com