The Stampede beat its Otago rivals 7-3 on Friday night and repeated the performance on Saturday night, winning 6-2, giving it eight competition points which puts it in third place, behind Auckland's Botany Swarm and the Canterbury Red Devils.
TicketDirect-sponsored Stampede manager Charlie Reid said the team was forced to work hard for the win over a much-improved Dunedin side, but "pedantic" calls by the referee had frustrated both sides, which had major consequences for one Stampede player at the end of the first period.
Stampede's Braden Lee was called for checking to the head and neck area against Thunder's Mike Sam.
The pair began to fight on the ice.
"Effectively, Braden got penalised.
"He received a game misconduct [and was forced to leave the ice]," Reid said.
"He should have been penalised for it, yes . . . but there was nothing [sinister] in it," Reid said.
"Both of them were going for the puck and [Sam] turned at the time Braden was going into it.
"The ref called it, but the one that he didn't call was their number 19 [MacDonald] charging in."
Mr Reid said Lee was "frustrated" by the call but there was "absolutely no excuse" for an incident that occurred when he left the ice, Reid said.
He understood a group of Dunedin supporters began yelling at Lee, who took off his helmet and lobbed it into the crowd as he neared the changing rooms, Mr Reid said.
Team management had spoken to the group concerned and had also spoken to Lee, who had been stood down for a week.
"That will have an implication on him, as the Erewhon Cup is next weekend - that's the oldest ice hockey cup . . . in New Zealand.
"His head was down and all the guys on the team gave him absolute what for."
"It brings their sport into disrepute and it takes him off the ice, which is where he should be."
Dunedin Thunder's assistant coach Al O'Conner could not be reached for comment yesterday.
