An 18-year-old Finnish ice hockey player is the target of an extraordinary avalanche on social media.
Kasper Halttunen had to state that the Czech Republic was better in the bronze game. After this, an avalanche of mocking comments started on the Finnish social media account. ZUMAWIRE / MVPHOTOS
A hockey player who was part of the Young Lions World Cup team Kasper Halttunen18, Instagram account has fallen into the Czech mocking comment inferno.
Halttus has 10 published pictures on his Instagram account, which have been flooded with thousands of comments from the Czech Republic after the under-20 World Cup bronze medal game. Most of the comments make fun of the young Finnish puck player.
The background of the massive social media attack is the World Cup bronze medal game played last Friday, during which Halttunen himself mocked the Czech players on the ice. The Czechs remembered the situation from the second set, when Halttunen appeared to the Czech player and pretended to be crying. You can see the situation in the video clip from X from this link.
Finland led the bronze medal game after two sets 5–3. The third set of the match was harsh for Finland, as the Czech Republic pressed for an 8–5 victory.
After the final buzzer, the TV pictures showed how Halttunen sat on the ice disappointed. The Czechs got excited about this and targeted the Finnish player on social media.
In some of the comments, Halttus is barked at ugly.
– Stop writing that hateful shit. I don’t have time to like all the comments, one user wrote in Czech in the comments of Halttunen’s latest photo.
Kasper Halttunen’s Instagram is full of comments about the Czech Republic. There have been thousands of comments on different pictures. Instagram screenshot
The comment in question supporting Halttunen’s barking has collected more than 12,000 likes.
The comment tsunami has lasted for days. Comments have appeared on Halttunen’s account even on Wednesday.
The Czech hate campaign has been reported by a local Idnes– news site. Halttu is also criticized in Idnes’ story.
– Halttunen did not behave in an exemplary, fair or sporting manner in the match against the Czech Republic, the Idnes story tells Czech readers.
According to Idnes, Halttunen not only mocked the opponents but also “filmed and snoozed” when Finland was still leading the game.
– In some places he seemed like a self-righteous brat, so after the match almost every Czech fan felt satisfied when Halttunen sat depressed without a medal, journalist Robert Rampa wrote.
Chekkilehti asked the communications manager of the Finnish Hockey Association about the flood of hate comments Halttunen faced on Instagram Henna from Malmberg.
– I hope that people understand that bullying is bullying, even if it happens on social media, Malmberg sent a message to the Czech Republic.
Players have the opportunity to report inappropriate behavior to the IIHF.
– If Halttunen’s case happened to us, I would contact the IIHF and ask them for instructions on how to proceed. Nothing like this has ever happened in the Czech Republic, Tereza Menčíková said to Idnes.
Menčíková is responsible for the IIHF’s misconduct reporting channel in the Czech Republic.
Some of the Czechs who commented on Halttunen’s Instagram have shown their support for the Finn and apologized for the use of other writers.
18-year-old Halttunen plays on loan in Canada in the OHL London Knights. In the summer, Halttunen signed a three-year rookie contract with the San Jose Sharks, who booked him in the NHL.