Flint Firebirds owner Rolf Nilsen won't appeal Ontario Hockey League suspension

Flint Firebirds owner Rolf Nilsen will not appeal the punishment handed to him by Ontario Hockey League commissioner David Branch.

Last week Branch announced Nilsen had been suspended for five years, fined $250,000 and the Firebirds were stripped of their third overall pick at last weekend’s OHL Priority Selection.

“I accept the commissioner’s decision in this matter,” Nilsen said in a statement released Friday morning. “Accordingly I will take no steps to appeal the decision. I will devote all of my energy to complying with the order, focusing solely on the business operations and placing myself in the best position to apply for reinstatement to hockey operations at the appropriate time.”

As part of Branch’s sanctions,  Nilsen is able to apply for reinstatement after three years.

Yahoo Canada Sports spoke last week with several players that were in favour of Branch’s stiff punishment levied against Nilsen.

Joe Stefan, Joe Birch - all the guys that took over they all deserve it and they've all been first-class the rest of the way from February on,” forward Frankie Vilardi said. “Obviously David Branch knows what he's doing. The whole team, myself included, has faith in what he's doing and what he continues to do.”

Todd Reynolds, the agent for Firebirds first-round pick Ty Dellandrea in last weekend's OHL Priority Selection, believed things were headed in the right direction in Flint following Branch’s announcement.

“Your hope, your expectations, your faith is that its going to be a good situation when you get there in the fall and they just have some more questions and uncertainty attached to them than most teams do,” Reynonds said on draft day. “It appears that everyone in charge is working towards making it a good situation come September. We have confidence that that is going to happen, but time will (tell).”

Nilsen fired his coaching staff on two separate occasions during the 2015-16 season forcing the OHL to take over the hockey operations in February.

During Nilsen’s suspension, the Flint Firebirds will remain under the stewardship, supervision and direction of the commissioner.

Birch, who has led the Flint Firebirds hockey operations since February will remain in his role. A general manager, head coach, and additional hockey operations staff will be appointed in the near future, Branch said last week.