Story Summary
Graz99ers player Paul Stapelfeldt has received a one-game suspension and a €700 fine following a kneeing incident involving Saipa forward Patrik Siikanen.
The Champions Hockey League Sport Disciplinary Panel ruled that Stapelfeldt’s action warranted supplementary discipline under IIHF Rule 50. The suspension and fine take effect immediately.
The incident occurred at 12:10 on Tuesday night, when Stapelfeldt was assessed a major penalty and an automatic game misconduct for kneeing Siikanen. Siikanen sustained an apparent injury in the collision.
The panel classified the offence as Category 1, described as “Careless”, after reviewing video evidence and the ruling of the CHL PSC.
Key Facts
- Paul Stapelfeldt of the Graz99ers has been suspended for one game, effective immediately.
- Stapelfeldt was also fined €700, effective immediately.
- The discipline relates to an incident at 12:10 involving Saipa forward Patrik Siikanen.
- Stapelfeldt received a major penalty and automatic game misconduct for kneeing during Tuesday night’s game.
- The CHL panel found that Stapelfeldt adjusted his lower body and extended his knee towards Siikanen, creating leg-on-leg contact.
- The incident was ruled supplementary discipline under IIHF Rule 50 for kneeing and classified as Category 1, “Careless”.
- Stapelfeldt will be regarded as a repeat offender should further supplementary discipline be required in the CHL.
IHM Discussion
The disciplinary finding turns on the panel’s assessment that the contact was avoidable. Siikanen moved left while attempting to evade the check, but the ruling states that Stapelfeldt responded by extending his leg to ensure contact rather than continuing through a conventional body check.
That distinction was central to the decision. The panel explicitly ruled out an unavoidable knee-on-knee collision caused solely by the puck carrier’s late movement. Instead, it found that Stapelfeldt’s adjustment created the forceful leg-on-leg contact which met the threshold for supplementary discipline.
The on-ice major and automatic game misconduct were therefore followed by a separate review process, resulting in the one-game ban and financial penalty. The ruling applies specifically within the Champions Hockey League.
Why It Matters
Knee-on-knee contact is treated seriously because of the potential for injury, and the panel recorded that Siikanen suffered an apparent injury from the incident. For Stapelfeldt, the immediate consequence is a one-game absence and a €700 fine.
The repeat-offender designation is also significant within future CHL disciplinary proceedings. It does not determine any future sanction, but it establishes Stapelfeldt’s status should another case requiring supplementary discipline arise.