Taklaus, who was hit in the head, retaliated.
HIFK’s star center Jori Lehterä flew into the yard in Saturday’s Ässät match. Elmeri Elo / AOP
HIFK’s star center Jori Lehterä has received a one-game suspension from the League’s disciplinary delegation.
In Saturday’s Ässät match, Lehterä tackled the striker Jonne Tammela in a questionable manner. Lehterän Taklaus hit Tammela, who was crouching, on the head.
In the match, Lehterä received a 5+20-minute penalty for a tackle on the head.
The league’s situation room took the case to disciplinary proceedings.
– After watching the video recordings, the disciplinary delegation states that in the Ässie’s attack, after the blue line, Tammela, who plays the puck, cuts in the middle. Tammela has poor possession of the puck and looks down. Correspondingly, HIFK’s Lehterä has come from the red line by sliding towards their own defensive area and cutting towards Tammela. Lehterä approaches Tammela from the front and starts to tackle Tammela, the report explainscontinuing:
– The tackle is directed slightly to the front of Tammela, and in the tackle Lehterä’s arm that is attached to the body causes contact with Tammela’s head. After this, Lehterän Taklaus hits Tammela in part of the body. The delegation states that at the time of the tackle, Lehterä’s arm is attached to his body, so it is not an elbow tackle. The arm only goes up after the tackle.
– Regarding the penalty consideration, the disciplinary delegation states that Lehterä approaches the situation by sliding and continues his movement at a rather low speed towards Tammela, who cut into the middle lane. Lehterä’s Tackle coming from the front goes slightly to the front of Tammela’s body line and as a result hits Tammela’s head first and quite strongly.
– Tammela’s playing position or direction of movement does not change before the tackle, so it would have been possible to direct the tackle directly to Tammela. The Disciplinary Delegation states that Lehterän’s tackle fulfills the characteristics of rule 48 based on the aforementioned criteria and that the tackle has recklessly endangered the opponent, taking into account the Main Hit.
– Regarding the consideration of the duration of the punishment, the disciplinary delegation considers that the tackle was not done at high speed and was carried out from the front. In tackling, the arm is attached to the body. Tammela on the puck comes into the situation with his head down. Taking into account the above-mentioned factors and evaluating the situation as a whole, as well as taking into account the current season’s penalty practice, the disciplinary delegation considers that the correct punishment for tackling is a one-game ban, the decision reads.
Lehterä whistles HIFK’s next match, i.e. Wednesday’s home match against SaiPa.
Lehterä, 38, has scored 2+21=23 in 28 league matches this season.
HIFK is in 11th place in the series. Its difference with TPS, which is below the playoff line, is three points.
