The Ice Hockey Association’s disciplinary committee ordered the former goalkeeper of the Women’s Lions on Friday For Noora Rädy a four-month non-competition ban for violating ethical regulations.
Räty’s punishment is related to former Naisleijon players and head coach Pasi Mustonen to the dispute between them, in which Mustose was banned from competition for three months.
Six former players of the Women’s Lions accused Musto of inappropriate behavior.
Mustonen accused the players of public humiliation and bullying, as well as baseless reporting. He denied the players’ allegations of inappropriate behavior.
The disciplinary committee considered that Rädy tried to influence Mustonen’s position as head coach during the Beijing Olympic Games. Rätä was not selected for the competition team. Mustonen went home in the middle of the Beijing Games due to family reasons.
Originally, the purpose was to take Mustonen’s behavior, which was perceived as improper, forward after the Beijing Olympics. Räty actively took the issue forward and collected letters from other players about Mustonen’s activities.
The disciplinary board considered that the motive for taking the case forward before the Olympics was partially personal revenge against Musto on Rädy’s part. On the other hand, the committee considered that part of Rädy’s motive was to expose inappropriate behavior.
Räty has not played this season, but the ban will come into force if Räty participates in activities under the Jääkiekslioitto.
Räty denies revenge
Noora Räty told Urheilu on Saturday that she was really disappointed with the disciplinary committee’s decision. He finds his own punishment confusing.
– I get the feeling that this has been the Ice Hockey Federation’s revenge and a wink at me, because I have been involved in a process where the inappropriate behavior of the coach has been provably proven, and then I myself have been punished for it, Räty says.
– It is confusing how such an outcome has been reached. I’ve had good motives when I talk about inappropriate behavior, but at the same time, there shouldn’t be this motive for bringing inappropriate behavior to the fore.
Räty denies that he tried to take revenge on Pasi Mustose.
– If I wanted to take revenge, I would have come up with a lot of better ways to get fired. I could have gone to the Sports Legal Protection Board, questioned the selections, filed a defamation case or spoken to the media. However, I didn’t do it just to protect the team.
– I can say on my own behalf that my only motive in this matter has been to bring inappropriate behavior and the voice of the athletes to the fore.
Räty says that his motive was not to get Mustose sacked, because the head coach enjoyed the trust of the majority of the Olympic team at the Beijing Games. Räty says that he wanted to guarantee the team peace of mind for the tournament.
After the Olympics?
The Beijing Olympics took place in February 2022. Before the games, 16 Naislejons players made a mass complaint to the Ice Hockey Players’ Association about Mustonen’s behavior. Noora Räty served as the front image of the group.
From the players’ association, the matter progressed to the Ice Hockey Federation in January 2022, right on the eve of the Olympics. The matter became public in October 2022, when Räty’s biographical book The Lion Queen (Marika LehtoWSOY) was published.
In October 2022, the Finnish Ice Hockey Federation submitted the matter for investigation to the Finnish Sports Ethics Center. In the end, the claims of six players came to be investigated by Suek.
At first, a mediation solution was sought, but the players finally decided that mediation would not contribute to the investigation of the matter. After this, Mustonen made his own announcement about the six players to Suek.
Suek completed his own report in February 2023, after which the matter was transferred to the Jääkieksliitto’s disciplinary committee.
Why did the matter start to be discussed before the Olympics, if it was not your goal?
– It didn’t come out before the Olympics. The matter came to light in the fall of 2022, when my book was published. It has been stated separately in the disciplinary decision that there is no indication, based on my hearing, that I would have pressured the players’ association to make the matter public before the Olympics. According to them, it is not reprehensible if a player collects information and contributes to bringing inappropriate behavior to the fore, Räty answers.
– I haven’t had any information in which timeline the players’ association will take the matter forward, but this matter never came to light before the Olympics. Of course, many discussions have taken place in the background, but none of these letters or accusations of inappropriate behavior ever became public before the Olympics.
– I haven’t been able to have any information about when the players’ association has taken the matter forward, or what has happened between the players at the Olympics, because I’ve been sitting at home.
What about Teemu Selänne?
Also a hockey legend of the men’s lions Teemu Selänne mentioned in the 55-page document of the Disciplinary Committee. Selänne is a family friend of one of the players who filed a complaint against Mustose.
Selänne had sent messages related to the situation of the Female Lions Matti Nurmin, who served as CEO of the Jääkieksliitto from 2012 to 2022. Selänne apparently wanted to tell Nurmi that several female lions don’t get along with Mustonen.
– I have had no part in Teemu Selänte’s Whatsapp messages. They happened on his own initiative and only came to my attention later. None of the messages have gone from me to Teemu, but have been forwarded by someone else, whose identity has not been revealed.
Do you have any idea what those messages were about?
– I have seen these messages, but only when proving discipline. Before that, I had no information about the contents of Nurminen’s and Selänte’s conversation. It is known that Selänne has been in contact with Nurmi out of his own will to help, and not at the request of any player.
Strong criticism of the process
The long settlement process has been difficult for each party. Räty feels that he acted according to his own values in the case and says that he wanted to highlight the inappropriate behavior instead of suffering alone.
The activities of Suek and the Jääkieksoliitto’s disciplinary committee do not get clean papers from Rädy.
– When I joined Suek’s investigation, I didn’t realize how many holes there are in such a process and how inadequate it is. In hindsight and after the decision, I cannot recommend Suek’s investigation to the athletes or especially the discipline of the Ice Hockey Federation.
In Rädy’s opinion, the decision sends a dangerous message to young athletes.
– If you bring up your concerns and dare to speak, you will be punished for it. I think that’s the message that hockey sends. There are all kinds of values and campaigns, but in the end, you don’t really want to root out improper behavior in their operations.
– It has not been fair for the athlete or for Pas that this has lasted for two years. Yes, that kind of process needs to be made much faster.
– I am surprised that Suek has its own disciplinary body, but the Ice Hockey Federation does not belong to it, but they have their own disciplinary body, which deals with the so-called inside the house. After all, it is not a decision-making body independent of the union.
Räty has not yet decided whether he plans to appeal the decision of the Ice Hockey Federation’s disciplinary committee.