Photo: Bildbyrån
Luleå’s captain Erik Gustafsson went to the referees to discuss a previous decision.
Suddenly he too was expelled – which he thinks is absolutely insane.
– I think he has zero respect and a bad attitude, says Gustafsson in TV4 Play.
It was a really lively event on Thursday evening between Luleå and Rögle. A goal-rich story to say the least, which in the end was written 5-4 to the guests from Ängelholm. There were plenty of attention-grabbing situations in the match.
The Luleå players have problems with the referees
At 4-4, the home team went Brendan Shinnimin on a dismissal for holding on the opponent Leon Bristedt. The same Shinnimin received attention two weeks ago when he was sent off when he celebrated a goal too wildly in front of an opponent in Växjö.
– It must be because they don’t like me. I try to talk to them nicely, but they don’t want to talk to me, Shinnimin said then.
READ MORE: All of hockey Sweden is furious after the action against Brendan Shinnimin
The same thing seems to apply to several players in Luleå. Because after Brendan Shinnimin’s expulsion against Rögle, the team captain left Erik Gustafssonwith several years of NHL and KHL experience, over to the referee team to discuss the decision. It didn’t go as he expected. Suddenly he was sitting in the expulsion booth himself.
– The referees have said that they want communication in the league. As the team captain, I think I can go forward calmly and nicely as I do, but it doesn’t work for him, he says in TV4 Play after the match.
Erik Gustafsson’s harsh criticism of the referee
He continued to direct sharp criticism at the referee Alexander Osterberg in the interview on TV4. Gustafsson believes that he was just trying to talk calmly about everything that happened on the ice, but that the referee took it as if he went there to fight. According to the Luleå captain, the expulsion was absolutely decisive, because Rögle was finally able to score 5-4 in the game 5 against 3.
– I just said “it’s not just one-way communication, it goes both ways”. Then he thought it was time to step in and decide the match. A compliment to him, he says and continues:
– I think he has zero respect and a bad attitude. I thanked him for his great effort
READ MORE: The response after Brendan Shinnimin’s harsh outing against the referees in the SHL
Erik Gustafsson explained the situation further to the local newspaper NSD. Then he told the judge exactly what he said.
– I think they get a cheap powerplay so I just go forward calmly and nicely where I want to talk to the referee about another situation but I don’t get to. Then I say that it is you (the referees) who have said that we should have communication during the season, then he throws his hand up in my face and sends me away. Then I pointed to the C on his chest and said that I am the team captain and that he should show me some respect. Then he sent me on a two-minute one. It is an unfortunate situation that could have been avoided, he says.
What do you think of the level of refereeing in the SHL? Is it good or too bad? Feel free to write a comment and tell us where you stand on the issue. Please share and like-mark the article.
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