PHOTO: Bildbyrån
It is the attack that has shaken the whole of hockey Sweden.
Now TV expert Niklas Wikegård enters the hot debate.
– I don’t think it’s as big as you paint it, he says on TV4.
During the match between Leksand and Oskarshamn on Tuesday evening, the assault took place which was so incredibly nasty. The Leksand goalkeeper Mantas armalis got really annoyed with the opponent Olli Palola and went on the attack.
Wikegård’s words
Armalis became irritated after receiving the tip of Palola’s club in the ribs and reacted with a nasty punch to the face. The hit was so bad that the Oskarshamn player had to go to the emergency room with a concussion.
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Subsequently, the Disciplinary Committee handed out a severe punishment to Armalis of a four-game suspension. The situation has aroused strong feelings in the SHL, but now the TV4 expert is leaving Niklas Wikegård out and defends the goalkeeper.
– Of course, the outcome will be very crunching when it hits hard with the flat side of the pick. If he wanted to hurt and there was an intention, he would have used the blow, which is much harder, if he really wanted it. So it’s going to be crazy, he says on the TV channel, see the video below.
– What you don’t say anyway is that it’s never okay to “spear” someone or push the club against someone. If it had been an outfield player in the same situation, it would have been expulsion, match penalty or almost even worse than that. Very unfortunate as it gets. Maybe a slight overreaction, but the outcome will be something that Mantas had not intended, but I don’t think it is as big as you paint it, even though the outcome was what it was.
Sanny’s criticism
But TV4 colleague Sanny Lindström does not agree with Wikegård at all and hits back with harsh criticism.
– I’m surprised that there will only be four games and I’m going completely against you there. I think it’s the ugliest thing we’ve seen since Peter Holland in Djurgården a few years ago. As for “spearing”, they have changed the rules for when you push with the club, so it is a matter of judgement. But I think that spearing is quite ridiculous to discuss, because the outcome will be like this… Mantas obviously does not mean to extinguish him, I understand that too. But considering the expulsions we had earlier in the season with failed tackles and even responsibility. Here it is only Manti’s responsibility, he says in the TV broadcast, see below.
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Wikegård does not agree at all that it is the ugliest thing we have seen since Peter Holland’s fist bump on Fredrik Styrman 2021 and demands that Lindström explain himself. Then Sanny raises his voice even more and clarifies his opinion.
– He hits him from behind. He has a second and a half to make a different decision but chases after him and punches him in the face. It is of course indisputable, it is very ugly and I stand by that. Since Mantas is a super guy but if this is another player who has a history, we wouldn’t have sat down and discussed in these terms.
What do you think of the assault in the SHL? Share the article and have your say!
READ MORE: Hard sentence for Mantas Armalis after the assault that provoked strong reactions in the SHL – Olli Palola’s first words from the hospital
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