SaiPan’s Henri Nikkanen and HIFK’s Ilari Melart have been ordered to temporary bans.
12:00•Updated 12:06
SaiPa was ordered by the Ice Hockey League’s disciplinary delegation Henri Nikkanen to a temporary suspension for the duration of the disciplinary hearing. Nikkanen tackled on Friday in the match between SaiPa and Tappara From Otto Leskiand was awarded a game penalty for an illegal tackle to the head.
According to the main video judge’s reasoning, Nikkanen swings his hand strongly at Leskinen’s head in the situation.
Nikkanen is temporarily suspended on Saturday, when the league’s top team SaiPa and third-placed Tappara meet in a rematch in Tampere.
Center forward Nikkanen, 23, moved to SaiPa recently from the Winnipeg Jets NHL organization. For Nikkanen, who played 13 AHL games in the early season for the Manitoba Moose, Friday’s game was the second in SaiPa’s shirt.
The choice of the alumni made me shudder
After the 3-2 home win over SaiPa on Friday, Nikkanen was chosen by the league alumni as the best player of the match. The incident sparked criticism in messaging service X, among others, and the club from Lappeenranta rushed to regret the choice.
– In no way do we stand behind this choice. The incident will be reviewed with SaiPa alumni representatives and it will be ensured that this does not happen again in the future. Apologies for what happened to us and the bad mood it caused, SaiPa messaged in X.
The selections of the best players of the match were made by a former hockey player from SaiPa Pauli Hyväri.
Melart tackled Borg in the head
The disciplinary delegation said that they also ordered the captain of HIFK Ilari Melartin to a temporary suspension from Friday’s events. In the match played in Tampere, Melart tackled Ilves in the third set Erik Borgia in the head and received a match penalty.
Melart is also temporarily suspended on Saturday, when HIFK meets Ässät.