Jyri Rönn, the head referee of the SM League, sees that Jakub Malek’s strike with a shield hand hits the opponent in the neck area.
Ilves check guard Jakub Malek lost his temper in the hockey SM league on Monday.
Malek hit KalPa who drove to the goal Kasper from Simontaiva shield hand to the neck area. Simontaival held his face and neck and Malek was given a two-minute penalty for violence.
In the SM league, outings have even been awarded for shield hits. According to Rönni, situations similar to the current rules can be punished with a two-minute suspension or a five-minute suspension and a match penalty at the discretion of the referee.
– The latter comes into practice according to the rules, when there is a great risk of injury or injury, SM league referee director Jyri Rönn says to Urheilu.
Do you think the judges made the right decision?
– The referees are the ones on the ice who consider and see the situation and afterwards you can watch the videos. Yes, we’re probably going in borderland, which one is this.
The rule book says exactly that the referees can give a match penalty if there is a probable risk of injury. Rönn described the incident as borderline, but notes that the blow hits the neck.
– In the situation, two players came to the goal under pressure. He (Malek) reacts to it by punching upwards. Of course, it’s hard to get your head around whether the target was what you hit or not. But it hits somewhere in the neck area.
The rulebook changed regarding the incident in 2022. Previously, a goalkeeper’s hit to the head with a shield glove was guaranteed to result in five minutes and a match penalty.
– Starting in 2022, the judges have been given more discretion for the second and fifth.
Ilves won the third quarter-final match 3–2 Emeli Finland with an overtime goal. KalPa leads the series with match wins 2–1, while four wins are required for the semi-finals.