SaiPa alumni Ari Lappalainen chose Henri Nikkanen as the best player of the match, who was sent off for a violent tackle.
12:27•Updated 12:48
SaiPa’s player Henri Nikkanen being selected as the best player of the home game was no accident. This is what the executive director of SM-liiga Alumni Association says Kai Nurminen To .
SaiPa alumni Ari Lappalainen chose Henri Nikkanen as the best player on Friday in the match between SaiPa and Tappara. Nikkanen had tackled in the game From Otto Leskiand was awarded a game penalty for an illegal tackle to the head. In addition, the hockey league’s disciplinary delegation ordered SaiPa’s Henri Nikkanen to be temporarily suspended for the duration of the disciplinary hearing.
According to Kai Nurminen, executive director of SM-liiga Alumni ry, Lappalainen chose Nikkanen as the best player of Friday’s match to protest the verdict.
– The guy was disappointed with the referee’s performance when the home team’s player was thrown out. He protested the judge’s weak day with the selection, Kai Nurminen explains the situation.
Ari Lappalainen did not want to comment on the situation to .
“He was sorry about it”
According to Kai Nurminen, the situation has now been reviewed and lessons have been learned. According to Nurminen, Ari Lappalainen had also realized that he had made a mistake in the selection of players.
– He realized that our job is not to provoke. He was sorry about that.
It saddens Kai Nurmi that at first people thought of another SaiPa alumnus Pauli Hyvärin who made the best player selection even though he wasn’t even there. Originally, Hyvär was supposed to come, but he was prevented.
– We weren’t able to change the names in the system as quickly as we should have. We have to think about whether we can improve here.
A reminder of the rules
According to Nurminen, it was the first time that the selection of the best player was made using the wrong criteria in any way.
He says that we will learn from this. The purpose is to repeat the rules for choosing the best player.
– There will be a reminder of how to act elegantly and honestly, Nurminen comments.