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Minn. fan: Rypien's actions 'assault'
ST. PAUL, Minn., -- A Minnesota Wild fan who was grabbed and shaken by Vancouver Canucks forward Rick Rypien says he was assaulted and is seeking a lawyer.
James Engquist, 28, of Mendota Heights, Minn., told the Minneapolis Star Tribune Wednesday he did nothing to provoke Rypien's actions and considered the incident an assault.
Engquist told the newspaper he is "definitely seeking legal representation. ... I was assaulted, that's just the bottom line."
The NHL has suspended Rypien indefinitely as it investigates the incident, which happened Tuesday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., during the Canucks' 6-2 loss to the Wild.
Video of the incident showed Enquist, clad in a Wild jersey, clapping in approval as Rypien -- who had just received a game misconduct for fighting with the Wild's Brad Staubitz -- was walking past him down the tunnel to the locker room.
The replays showed Rypien suddenly lunged over a railing, grabbed Engquist without apparent physical provocation and shook him violently for about 2 seconds before a teammate intervened and he resumed walking down the tunnel.
"I was just standing straight up applauding as he was getting kicked out," Engquist told the Star Tribune. "He was out of control. And then I said, 'Way to be professional,' and he obviously didn't care for that comment and decided to grab me and almost dragged me over the rail.
"If my brother wasn't grabbing me and the other player wasn't grabbing him, he probably would have dragged me over the edge."
ST. PAUL, Minn., -- A Minnesota Wild fan who was grabbed and shaken by Vancouver Canucks forward Rick Rypien says he was assaulted and is seeking a lawyer.
James Engquist, 28, of Mendota Heights, Minn., told the Minneapolis Star Tribune Wednesday he did nothing to provoke Rypien's actions and considered the incident an assault.
Engquist told the newspaper he is "definitely seeking legal representation. ... I was assaulted, that's just the bottom line."
The NHL has suspended Rypien indefinitely as it investigates the incident, which happened Tuesday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., during the Canucks' 6-2 loss to the Wild.
Video of the incident showed Enquist, clad in a Wild jersey, clapping in approval as Rypien -- who had just received a game misconduct for fighting with the Wild's Brad Staubitz -- was walking past him down the tunnel to the locker room.
The replays showed Rypien suddenly lunged over a railing, grabbed Engquist without apparent physical provocation and shook him violently for about 2 seconds before a teammate intervened and he resumed walking down the tunnel.
"I was just standing straight up applauding as he was getting kicked out," Engquist told the Star Tribune. "He was out of control. And then I said, 'Way to be professional,' and he obviously didn't care for that comment and decided to grab me and almost dragged me over the rail.
"If my brother wasn't grabbing me and the other player wasn't grabbing him, he probably would have dragged me over the edge."
