Max Lindroth set the tone in the ice hockey round with the fastest hat trick in SM league history from the start of the match, as well as a total of four goals in his evening.
The Swedish defender who moved to Turku and TPS on the last day of January Max Lindroth has made a historic comeback in the ice hockey SM league.
The 27-year-old defenseman scored three goals in Wednesday’s ice hockey round SaiPa’s goalie Kari Piiroinen behind the back in only nine minutes and 40 seconds, which broke the SM league’s previous, Antti Saarelan the record held in the name.
Ilves Saarela had scored a hat trick against Tappara from the start of the match in nine minutes and 44 seconds on December 2, 2021.
Lindroth clocked only 3.51 individual ice time for his three perfect hits in Kisapuisto. His first two hits were even, the third was instead a power play goal.
At the beginning of the third period, Lindroth continued his incredible goal production and scored his fourth goal of the evening with a power play in 42:51. He became the eighth defender in the SM series/league who has been able to score four goals in one match.
Before Lindroth’s feat, the last time the defender had a four-goal night in the league more than 39 years ago, when it was the Aces’ defense legend Tapio Levo 7th day of February in 1985.
– Really fun puck night and of course it’s special if you make history. Today everything turned out the way I wanted. However, the team’s victory was the most important thing, we needed all the points, the number one hero of the evening set the mood from Lappeenranta.
– A memorable evening for Lindroth, which he will remember at Takuu all his life, TPS coach Tommi Miettinen calmly.
The fastest hat trick by a defenseman is a Pelicans defenseman Juha Leimun in the name. He scored three consecutive goals, i.e. a clean hat trick in just 44 seconds at the end of the second period in 2015 in a match against JYP.
The previous hat trick by a TPS defender was seen 22 years ago, when Pasi Petriläinen collected three goals from the defender position in 2002.
Lindroth is a 185-centimeter and 90-kilogram defender who shoots from the left, who started the games exceptionally effectively in Turku Palloseura and totaled eight power points (0+8) in the first four league matches. The 27-year-old defender has now collected 4+8=12 points in the seven league matches he has played.
In the Swedish SHL, Lindroth has scored a total of six goals in the 91 games he has played in the last two SHL seasons. The defender has played a total of 221 SHL matches. TPS is his first club abroad.
That’s how it played on Wednesday
Lahti Pelicans beat Jukurit 5–3 in the top game. The deciding goal in the final set was scored by Pelicans’ fourth hitter Juhamatti Aaltonen. The loss for Jukur was the fifth in a row.
TPS eventually crushed SaiPa 6–0, visitor KalPa beat JYP 3–2, Kärpät covered Teemu Turunen by hitting HPK 1–0 and KooKoo beat Sport 5–4 in the away game after the winning goal.
JYP–KalPa 2–3 (2-2, 0-0, 0-1)
Kärpä–HPK 1–0 (0-0, 1-0, 0-0)
Pelicans–Jukurits 5–3 (1-1, 1-1, 3-1)
SaiPa–TPS 0–6 (0-4, 0-0, 0-2)
Sport–KooKoo vl 4–5 (0-1, 1-2, 3-1)
Series table