Hull Stingrays coach Rich Strachan has lashed out at Rick Kozak after the player quit the club to return back home to North America.
He told BBC Radio Humberside: "He got suspended and we stood by him and got his ban reduced [from 10 to six games].
"We were diligent and it's like he thought he was too good for the guys in the dressing room."
The Rays collected their third win of the season when they beat Basingstoke 4-2 at the Hull Arena without Kozak.
A hat-trick of goals from Matt Reynolds and a late empty net goal from Lee Michell was enough to secure the points against the Bison to lift the Stingrays into a play-off place for the first time this season.
" Having a guy come to practice and go through the motions because he's had a rough night out is totally unacceptable"
It was a different story 24 hours earlier when Reynolds was again on the mark away from home at Basingstoke as the Rays lost 4-1 in the Elite League.
Despite a win and a loss, Strachan says he was happy with the weekend's work. "Four points would have been a great weekend but two points is a good weekend and the home win is huge for us because it puts us in eighth place and a play-off spot and now we got to stay there."
But the Stingrays coach was still bitter at the way Kozak left the club and he hinted that the player quit before they had the chance to sack him.
He added: "We did everything in our power to make sure he was happy. You had to tell him every day to make sure to be ready and prepared to practice even though you're not playing.
"You have to put extra time in, in the gym and you can't treat guys different. Every guy has to come to work every day on time, professional and ready to go to work and having a guy come to practice and go through the motions because he's had a rough night out is totally unacceptable."
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