A player with the Thunder Bay North Stars hockey team has been charged with assault after he punched a rival coach at the end of a Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) game in Thunder Bay, Ont. last month, police said.

The charge stems from an altercation at the end of the third game of the SIJHL championship series between the North Stars and the Dryden GM Ice Dogs, which was played on April 17 at the Fort William Gardens.

Thunder Bay police said officers were called to the arena after the altercation and began an investigation.

The player — who was not dressed for the game — has also been given a 25-game suspension by the league.

He’ll appear in court over the assault charge on May 25.

Dryden went on to win the series and the SIJHL championship in six games.

Both the Ice Dogs and North Stars are currently competing in the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canadian Jr. “A” Championship, which began Tuesday in Dryden.

The Cochrane Crunch and Wellington Dukes round out the four-team Dudley-Hewitt field, with the winner earning a spot at the RBC Cup National Junior “A” Championship later this month.