Two Linköping HC fans will no longer be able to attend Svenska Hockeyligan (SHL) matches for the next two years for using the death of a hockey player in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash to mock an opposing club during a match.
During a match, the two oddballs showed photos of goalkeeper Stefan Liv to the HV71 players in an attempt to destabilize them mentally.
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The player in question died during the incident where 42 members of the Yaroslavl hockey team lost their lives moments after the team’s plane took off. Several former National League players, including Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei and Brad McCrimmon, were victims of this tragedy.
Before playing in Russia, Liv played 10 seasons with HV71, who was also trained by the club playing in Jönköping.
Following a complaint from the club, Linköping HC investigated. The organization was able to identify the supporters so they could be punished.
“We viewed several recordings and, thanks to our security manager, Max Lundgren, were able to identify these people. We contacted them and also had a meeting with them to try to understand what they had in mind,” the team specified on its social networks.
The two-year suspension imposed on the two fans is the maximum allowed by the SHL.
