NHL enforcer sued for bar assault

Vancouver Sun, May 2002

VANCOUVER — The former manager of the Roxy and the head doorman are suing Washington Capitals’ winger Stephen Peat and his older brother over an alleged violent assault they say occurred at the Granville Street nightspot a year ago.
Jeff Reid and Vic Ardanaz are suing Peat, 21, his brother Michael Peat, 23, of Langley and another unknown male, named as John Doe. In separate civil lawsuits filed Tuesday, the plaintiffs claim that Peat and members of his party assaulted Reid and Ardanaz without provocation on June 23 last year at the Roxy.
Reid claims the incident began when Reid and one of the Roxy’s security staff were escorting a member of Peat’s group out of the club. Stephen Peat tried to intervene and tried to prevent Reid and the staff member from escorting the person from the club, the suits claim. Reid claims that when he identified himself as the manager of the Roxy to Stephen Peat, the NHL player threatened Reid verbally and by his mannerisms.
He further claims that Stephen Peat “suddenly and without provocation or excuse forcibly struck the plaintiff Reid in the face, knocking him to the ground and then continued to strike at the plaintiff Reid while he was on the ground.”
The other defendants joined in the assault on Reid and other security staff at the Roxy, says the action filed by lawyers John Cameron and James Richards.