In a Swedish Hockey League (SHL) playoff game, Leksand's Marcus Karlberg was struck in the face by a high stick from HV71's Riley Woods in the second period, resulting in a penalty for Woods. According to reports from Sportbladet and SVT Sport, Karlberg stated the stick hit him directly on the mouth, and he credited his mouthguard with preventing tooth loss. The incident occurred during HV71's 2-1 victory over Leksand.
After the penalty, the home crowd chanted "diver" at Karlberg, who reportedly found it amusing and part of the game. Woods, however, expressed uncertainty about whether the stick made contact, suggesting Karlberg might have embellished the hit, as reported by Sportbladet and Expressen Sport. Expressen Sport also reports that Karlberg is under review by the Player Safety Group, though the details of this review are unclear.
the stick hit him directly on the mouth, and he credited his mouthguard with preventing tooth loss
Leksand scored a power-play goal during Woods' penalty to reduce the deficit to 2-1. The next playoff game is scheduled for Friday.
found it amusing and part of the game
expressed uncertainty about whether the stick made contact, suggesting Karlberg might have embellished the hit