SHL
It’s not rare to see a fight unfold during a hockey game, and while it’s slightly less common to witness a player get deposited into the bench of the opposing team, that also happens every now and then. There aren’t many situations where someone decides to start a scrap after ending up in enemy territory, but that’s exactly what happened during a very spirited game in the Swedish Hockey League.
Most of the professional sports franchises that are based in the United States (and Canada) are arguably rewarded in the wake of a terrible season by securing a favorable draft pick, and they don’t have to worry about being punished with a fate that’s feared by other teams around the globe: relegation.
That system, which is particularly popular in Europe, gives teams extra incentive to avoid finishing near the bottom of the standings if they don’t want to be vanquished to a league that boasts a lower tier of talent. Americans who are acquainted with English soccer (or who have kept tabs on the Wrexham United saga) are likely familiar with that arrangement, but that’s not the only country—or sport—where it’s used.
Relegation is also harnessed in the Swedish Hockey League, and two teams that were hoping to retain their membership were involved in a wild melee that unfolded during a do-or-die showdown.
A Swedish hockey player took on an entire team after ending up in their bench during an SHL game
The SHL sorts out regulation each season by having its two worst teams face off in a best-of-seven series. The winner gets to stay at the country’s top level, and the loser heads down to the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan while getting replaced by its champion.
This year, HV71 and Leksand had the dubious distinction of playing for the right to stay in the SHL. No team has crawled back from a 3-0 deficit to avoid relegation, and the latter needed to make history after finding itself in that hole heading into the fourth game of the series on Tuesday.
Leksand had a 1-0 lead midway through the third period when HV71 forward William Ignberg Nilsson found himself engaged in a scuffle near the entrance to Leksand’s bench. He was ultimately shoved into it and subsequently found himself swarmed by a good chunk of the players who were on when his presence triggered a brawl before his head coach swooped in to drag him away.
Topp 5 roligaste situationerna jag sett i SHL. Uppe där med när Mango snor Öreplastklubba och Lasu-Nilssons ragequit pic.twitter.com/hrjWS08dFg
— Emil Olsson (@EmilOls42054984) March 24, 2026
Leksand ended up getting a 5-on-3 after Nilsson was penalized for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct, but they were unable to take advantage on the power play.
That ended up coming back to bite them, as Hugo Pettersson tied things up with the goalie pulled with 10 seconds left in the third period before HV71 clinched the series and sealed Leksand’s fate with a 2-1 victory in overtime.