FREDERICTON, New Brunswick -- The New Brunswick Amateur Hockey Association filed a statement in court Thursday calling a father's lawsuit against the league scandalous and frivolous.

Michel Croteau, the father of 16-year-old bantam hockey star Steven Croteau, is suing the NBAHA for $300,000 in psychological and punitive damages because his son failed to win the league's most valuable player award.

The statement said Croteau's complaint about his son failing to win the MVP award, despite having the most goals and assists in the league, is "scandalous, frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of judicial process.''

The association said such awards are based on independent votes cast by a league committee of 10 coaches and team members. Steven Croteau received only one vote.

Despite the statement, Michel Croteau is not dropping his lawsuit.

"This is not about a trophy,'' Michel Croteau said. "This whole thing is about a big organization that just doesn't listen to people. They just do what they want and if you go against them, they're so strong they make you look like a fool.''

Steven led the bantam league last season with 45 goals and 42 assists in 27 games. Lucas Martin, who won the MVP award, was fourth in the league with 21 goals and 39 assists.

Steven has been suspended from play because of the lawsuit.

Michel Croteau said the main problem was the hockey association never had the courtesy to explain why it made certain decisions.

"This whole thing should have been settled right at the beginning,'' he said. "They could have explained everything, but they chose to follow a code of silence.''