HockeyAllsvenskan, the second highest tier of professional hockey in Sweden, has been rocked by allegations of match-fixing. Several reports out of that country indicate a game Monday between Björklöven and Mora may have been fixed after Björklöven was up 3-0 in the first, only to lose 8-4.
The starting goaltender for Björklöven was Connor Ingram, who was pulled after five goals against. This was his last game in HockeyAllsvenskan as he'll be heading back to North America to take part in the Nashville Predators training camp. Ingram was selected in the third round (88th overall) by Tampa Bay in 2016, but traded to Nashville in 2019 for a seventh round pick. Ingram stopped just nine of the 14 shots he faced in the game.
According to Swedish sports outlets, the league became suspicious as Björklöven were the heavy favourites by betting sites to win the game. When the team went up 3-0, so much money was bet on Mora that the odds changed in unusual ways and the game was eventually removed from many betting sites.
Björklöven's CEO calls the allegations ridiculous.
"I hope that this is sorted out properly and that we turn over all the stones that can be turned over," said Anders Blomberg on the team's official website. "...If it turns out to be true, it is of course completely unacceptable and something that must never occur in our association. These players are trained in what applies in Björklöven and this is so far from the culture we stand for."
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