Ilves' Lukas Jasek and HIFK's Jori Lehterä: suspension!

The league’s disciplinary delegation imposed two suspensions on Sunday evening.

Ilves’ Lukas Jasek received a three-game suspension. HIFK’s Jori Lehterä received a one-game suspension.

Jasek struck KooKoo’s Miska Siikonen in the neck area with a cross-check during a face-off in Saturday’s game. Jasek was sent to the showers for his action.

– The disciplinary delegation states that in the B-face-off, the starters Jasek and Siikonen fall to the ice. Siikonen wins the face-off and Jasek is on top of Siikonen. The puck goes to a KooKoo player from the face-off. After this, Jasek strikes with a cross-check, hitting Siikonen in the neck with the shaft of his stick. The disciplinary delegation concludes that Jasek’s action meets the criteria for a cross-check.

– Regarding the consideration of punishment, the disciplinary delegation notes that an exceptional cross-checking strike occurs against an opponent in this situation. The cross-check directly targets the neck. The players were involved in the face-off, but the action is no longer related to the face-off or the pursuit of the puck.

– The disciplinary delegation believes that Jasek has recklessly endangered the opponent with his action and a suspension for cross-checking must be imposed, as explained in the disciplinary decision.

Lehterä, on the other hand, checked Ässät’s Jonne Tammela in the head on Saturday. As a result of the check, Lehterä was ejected from the game.

– The check is directed slightly in front of Tammela, and the contact to Tammela’s head is caused by Lehterä’s arm being held against his body. After this, Lehterä’s check hits Tammela partly in the body. The delegation states that at the moment of the check, Lehterä’s arm is against his body, so it is not an elbow check. The arm only rises after the check.

– The disciplinary delegation notes that Lehterä approaches the situation by sliding and continues his movement with very little speed towards Tammela, who is cutting across the center line. The check coming from the front slightly goes in front of Tammela’s body line and as a result, it first and quite forcefully targets Tammela’s head.

– Regarding the consideration of the duration of the penalty, the disciplinary delegation believes that the check was not made at high speed and was executed from the front. The arm is against the body during the check. Puck-carrying Tammela comes into the situation with his head down, as stated in the disciplinary decision.