Player Gets Massive Suspension After Breaking A Refs Arm

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Austin Sabourin
November 21, 2023 (9:37 PM)

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Some might argue that the consequences are lenient, but given the circumstances, one might consider the player fortunate not to face a lifetime ban.

A mere three days ago, a player in a fifth-tier league in Sweden committed a reprehensible act by striking a referee during a game. The unsuspecting official, oblivious to the impending hit, ended up in the hospital with a broken arm.

The player in question, 22-year-old Casper Gillberg, initially dismissed it as an accident post-game, despite video evidence depicting a deliberate hit on the unaware referee.

Gillberg's initial response lacked remorse, with him placing blame squarely on the referee:

"The referee gets in the way, as he did the whole game. I had to stop their player, and then the referee got in the way. Then he had to take the hit, even though it was not the intention, of course."

Facing the inevitable backlash, Gillberg drastically changed his stance the next day, expressing deep regret and shame for his actions.

Today, he received a suspension of over a year. HockeyTrean has mandated that he cannot return to play until after December 31st, 2024.

"All in all, a unanimous committee finds that Casper Gillberg should be suspended for the following reasons: - Showed total indifference to the safety of the referee when he chose, with reckless force, to complete a hit against a referee even though he is aware that it is a referee he is hitting."

In essence, the committee deemed the hit intentional. They also took into account Gillberg's six-week suspension for an illegal hit on an opponent last season, labeling him a repeat offender.

As seen on bladeofsteel