Judge Jukka-Pekka Koistinen opens up about what happened between him and HPK commander Maso Lehtonen on Wednesday.
There was a stir in the ice hockey championship league on Wednesday when HPK’s coach Maso Lehtonen accused the referee at the post-match press conference.
– I, too, am proud of the continuation, even though the second referee came to announce how bad a hockey team we are and how badly we play. There’s no need to tell us that it’s inevitable. This is where the young players really try to do their best, Lehtonen said at the press conference.
Judged the match Jukka-Pekka Koistinen assumes that Lehtonen’s comments stem from a conversation between them during the third period. According to Koistinen, the conversation proceeded as follows.
– In a good spirit, I asked Maso whether it was the Tampere tournament-level whistle again or something that makes you smile. Maso replied that yes, that’s exactly how it was. I said that then we are on a level playing field. To which Maso stated that, well, we are shit, so are you, says Koistinen.
According to Koistinen, the events date back to the second batch, when Koistinen’s colleague Antti Boman gave HPK two minutes for holding and two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. Then, according to Koistinen, Lehtonen made it clear with his gestures that the cold did not suit him and stated that the whistles were at the level of the Tampere tournament.
– He was probably referring to the Tampere tournament below the league season, that we are obviously in the summer season. This must be what he meant.
In the third set, Koistinen gave Ossi Ikosen to the holding rope, after which, according to Koistinen, Lehtonen made it clear again that the rope was not suitable for him. During the Kärppi’s superiority, Koistinen says that he supervised the exchange normally, during which Lehtonen stared at him with a smile. After this, Koistinen threw the previously mentioned comment at Lehtonen.
According to Koistinen, the duties of the judges do not include criticizing the team, players or coaches on a personal level.
– However, I thought that when we are all adults, sometimes there is something to throw in the corner of the eye.
– Of course, in my opinion, Mason’s last comment, that we are shit, was probably not relevant. But this is what we hear in different forms in every game let’s approach for the teams. However, the judges are not supposed to go there, but we have to stay smart in those situations, Koistinen emphasizes.
The match ended in victory for Kärppi with a goal by Teemu Turunen with a score of 1–0.