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Tappara coach suspended after Liiga match brawls

Key Points
  • Tappara coach Rikard Grönborg suspended three games after Liiga match brawls.
  • Tappara fined nearly 107,000 kronor; JYP received a warning.
  • Brawls reportedly involved retaliation for a previous foul tackle.

A Liiga hockey match between JYP and Tappara in Finland ended in chaos with multiple brawls. The game reportedly contained 226 penalty minutes and three fights. With 17 seconds left, Tappara's Emil Sylvegård and JYP's Antti Tyrväinen dropped their gloves and started fighting.

After the match, JYP's assistant coach Santeri Heiskanen accused Tappara of planning the attacks in advance, reportedly in retaliation for a foul tackle by Tyrväinen on Tappara star Kristian Tanus in a previous meeting. Liiga's disciplinary committee has now suspended Tappara coach Rikard Grönborg for three games. Tappara was also fined nearly 107,000 kronor, with the committee stating the brawls caused negative publicity for the league.

JYP received a warning. According to reports, the committee found Tappara initiated the brawls to retaliate against Tyrväinen, but could not confirm Grönborg ordered his players to attack. Grönborg is set to coach Tre Kronor starting in the 2026-27 season.

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