Malmö Redhawks forward Janne Kuokkanen has been handed a four-game suspension and a fine for an illegal check to the head on Skellefteå's Oliver Okuliar during an SHL match. The incident occurred in the second period, leading to Kuokkanen's match penalty. Okuliar did not finish the game as a precautionary measure.
In Saturday's SHL matchup between Malmö Redhawks and Skellefteå AIK, tension escalated in the second period with 14:43 remaining. The puck was in Skellefteå's defensive zone when Oliver Okuliar attempted to kick it forward. As Okuliar turned, Janne Kuokkanen charged in and delivered a hit with his right shoulder in an upward motion, striking Okuliar's head with force.
Kuokkanen received a match penalty for checking to the head. The Svenska Ishockeyförbundets Disciplinnämnden reviewed the footage, confirming the illegality of the hit, particularly noting the upward trajectory against a vulnerable player. As a result, Kuokkanen faces a suspension from October 19 to 30, missing four games: the derby away at Rögle on Thursday, home against Växjö, away at Leksand, and home versus Timrå. He also must pay a fine of 30,114 kronor.
Okuliar left the game but, according to reports from Norran, it was primarily a safety precaution with no major injury indicated.
Malmö coach Tomas Kollar addressed the incident post-game: "Inte så mycket att diskutera. Ett glasklart matchstraff och jättetråkigt att se spelare bli skadade," translating to "Not much to discuss. A clear match penalty and very unfortunate to see players get injured."
In a related disciplinary matter, Luleå's Pontus Andreasson was fined 5,000 kronor for diving in their game against Örebro. With one minute left in the second period, Andreasson exaggerated contact, resulting in Örebro's Linus Arnesson receiving a penalty.