Liiga’s disciplinary delegation has decided not to suspend Pelicans’ Brett Stapley for an incident in the 3 October game against KooKoo. Stapley received a major penalty and game misconduct for cross-checking Samuel Valkeejärvi at 18:58, after a video review during the match. The chief video referee later referred the incident for disciplinary review and proposed a suspension.
The delegation reviewed the video and heard Stapley’s account. It said Stapley was trying to gain position in front of the KooKoo goal while Valkeejärvi defended the area. Both players raised their sticks as they made contact, and Stapley’s stick was lifted from Valkeejärvi’s hands and struck him in the neck area.
The delegation said the contact was dangerous, but found that Stapley did not strike or hit Valkeejärvi with the stick. Taking into account the way the stick was lifted, the absence of a striking motion and the relatively low force of the contact, it concluded that Stapley had not recklessly endangered his opponent to an extent warranting a suspension.