Modo Hockey forward Kyle Topping received a 7,500 kronor fine from the disciplinary committee for embellishing contact during a 5-3 playoff victory over BIK Karlskoga. The incident occurred with four minutes left in the third period, helping Modo take a 3-2 lead in the HockeyAllsvenskan semifinal series. Topping offered an explanation, while BIK Karlskoga players reacted strongly.
Modo secured match point in their semifinal series against BIK Karlskoga with a 5-3 road win. The game, played in Karlskoga, featured a controversial moment involving Topping, Modo's number 24. As he carried the puck through the neutral zone, a BIK Karlskoga player challenged him, with the club's stick in the air and light glove contact on the right side of Topping's helmet, according to the Players Safety Group report that led to the disciplinary action. Topping then clutched his mouth in a manner suggesting a stick hit, aiming to influence the referees, the group stated. The disciplinary committee reviewed video evidence and confirmed the embellishment, imposing the fine as punishment. Topping explained to the committee: 'I get a hit to the face, I show that it hurts and at the same time I get lightly tripped so I fall easily! I think when I see the replay that it looks really cheap and I don't stand for that kind of behavior! My intention was not to embellish but to show that it hit the face!' BIK Karlskoga players were furious, with Hampus Plato heard on the TV4 broadcast shouting, 'Fucking cowards, fucking cowards all of them.' Modo can advance to the Allsvenskan final against Björklöven with a win at home in Örnsköldsvik on Saturday, where Topping remains a key player despite the incident.
