PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Växjö became Swedish champions for the 2022/23 season.
But now harsh criticism comes from Niklas Wikegård.
– This is my reflection on the whole thing, says the hockey profile in the podcast “Sportstudion”.
The SHL season and the SM playoffs are finished for 2022/23. In the end, it was the Växjö Lakers who won the regular season and thus also the SM gold after an incomparably good season.
Wikegård’s criticism
The SM final was never really exciting when Växjö Lakers went away quickly and defeated Skellefteå AIK 4-1 in the final series. A lot has been said about how “boring” the SC final was and the whole playoff itself has received a lot of criticism for lacking that passion and intensity as an extra spice.
The article continues after the picture.
C More’s outspoken expert Niklas Wikegård has followed the playoffs closely and is now voicing his major criticism of the hockey season. The TV profile now expresses his concern for the future of Swedish hockey.
– No one can come and say that the final series between Skellefteå and Växjö was some cracking event. It drew quite a few surges around it. It’s way too nice, way too polished and we’ve become a very soft league. That is my reflection on the whole thing, says Wikegård in the podcast “Sportstudion”.
READ MORE: The judges’ unexpected response after Peter Forsberg’s giant rage – now responding to the criticism: “Absolutely so…”
Concerns about hockey
For several years, he has aired his criticism of the physical game in Swedish hockey. And Wikegård was disappointed again in this SM final.
– Look at the final game this year, Jonathan Pudas almost doesn’t get a tackle during the entire final series. I know these guys are hard to tackle, but no one is trying at all. There, I think Swedish hockey and the final game will be a bit flat. Then people can think whatever the hell they want, he says in the podcast.
The article continues after the picture.
Niklas Wikegård wants to see more emotion in playoff hockey and admits that it might still have been better in the past in that aspect.
– I want it to switch up from a regular season lull to something completely different in the playoffs, as it was in the past years. It wasn’t better before, but it was different. Now it’s not much harder in a playoff, I miss that, he says in the podcast.
Do you agree with Niklas Wikegård’s criticism? Share the article and have your say!
READ MORE: Modo’s new Tokilska after Djurgården’s behavior – now goes for a hard attack: “You start to think”