Kiekko-Espoo’s Linus Öberg has been suspended for one game following an incident against HIFK on 23 October. He will serve the ban in Kiekko-Espoo’s next match, Liiga’s disciplinary panel ruled on 24 October.
The incident occurred at 49:25, away from the puck, during a battle in front of the goal. The panel found that Öberg struck HIFK’s Linus Nässen in the face with the shaft of his stick in a cross-checking motion. Öberg received a major penalty and game misconduct during the match, and the incident was referred for disciplinary review.
The panel rejected Öberg and Kiekko-Espoo’s account that his stick had slid upwards along Nässen’s stick. It concluded that Öberg’s own action directed the blow towards Nässen’s head, recklessly endangering his opponent. In deciding the suspension length, the panel considered the contact to the face, that the incident happened outside active play, and the circumstances as a whole.