Sweden’s Loof Still Suspended for December Hit
The IIHF is set to restart the World Juniors. The tournament restarts cleanly with a blank slate; the previous games do not matter and the points do not count.
In addition to the suspension to Sweden’s Leo Loof.
Defender Leo Loof was given a one-match ban for boarding and an illegal check to the head by Slovakia’s Simon Nemec during their preliminary round match on December 27. He received a match penalty and was ejected from the game.
World Juniors: Sweden’s Loof still suspended for illegal hit in game that no longer counts when WJC restarts in August: https://t.co/qXADxi0wMr pic.twitter.com/QHPiX9bUin
— Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) August 7, 2022
Loof would miss Tre Kronor’s match against Team USA on December 29. That match never happened.
Instead, almost eight months later, he ends up on the sidelines when Sweden host Switzerland on August 10.
Here is the IIHF’s full verdict:
The IIHF Disciplinary Panel has issued a one-game suspension to Team Sweden defender Leo Loof, for a violation of IIHF Official Game Rule 48 (illegal head or neck control) and Rule 41 (boarding).
The incident in question occurred at 47:31 in the 3rd period of Sweden’s preliminary round match against Slovakia on December 27.
Slovakian defenseman Simon Nemec had the puck as he skated along the boards on the right side towards the Swedish defensive zone. As Nemec approached the blue line, Loof went at Nemec from the other side of the ice. As Loof approached Nemec, he made direct head-on contact with Nemec and raised his arms to his head. Loof following up on the hit caused Nemec to hit the boards and then fall to the ice.
The Disciplinary Panel determined that – because Loof, in reaching Nemec to make contact near the boards, directed his arms in an upward motion towards the head and/or neck area of Nemec, and because of the force with which the contact was made – that Loof recklessly endangered Nemec and violated IIHF Official Game Rule 48 (illegal check to the head or neck) and Rule 41 (boarding). Loof showed no regard for the puck when he delivered his check, and by separating his arms from his body as he did so, he gained even more power when he beat Nemec.
Loof was selected by St. Louis Blues in the third round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. They will have to wait a little longer to see their prospects return to action in the World Juniors.