League announces decision after investigation into Karl Klingberg after match fixing allegations
The Swedish Hockey League (SHL) has released its verdict in the case of a player who was reported to the SHL's disciplinary committee for match-fixing.
Background
Following a game between Frolunda and Rogle that ended in an 8-2 score, Karl Klingberg, brother of John Klingberg of the Toronto Maple Leafs, joked with reporters, telling them he had told his teammates to stop scoring in the final minutes of the game. The reason, according to Klingberg, was that a well-known supporter of Frolunda always bet on the score being 8-2, and he wanted to ensure a nice payoff.
Several people reported Klingberg to the country's gambling authority, which turned the case over to the Swedish Ice Hockey Association to see if punishment was warranted. The Association has ruled it is not.
"There is no indication of match fixing and therefore no reason for us to report the player to the disciplinary committee. However, we seriously consider that the player with his statement in the media, even if it was in a joking tone, normalized match fixing. We see no place whatsoever in ice hockey for match fixing or illegal betting." - Swedish Ice Hockey Association
While Klingberg may have been just joking when talking about the score, it's not surprising that his comments were taken seriously. For better or worse, sports gambling is a billion dollar business. I'd be willing to bet that a comment of that sort from someone in the NHL would lead to a similar investigation.
Source: Expressen.se
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