Today, HockeyAllsvenskan team IF Björklöven, with the Nashville Predators’ Connor Ingram in net, lost 8-4 to Mora IK after jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Ingram, who was pulled after two periods, allowed five goals on 14 total shots.
Since then, suspicion has been rampant that an undetermined number of Björklöven players are involved in fixing today’s results—and potentially those of previous games as well. The team has denied any belief that players are involved in match-fixing and has welcomed an investigation.
Oskar Stål Lyrenäs reducerar för Mora mot Björklöven. #Hockeyallsvenskan #MoraIK pic.twitter.com/f44bLylSSu
— Anton (@antonj85) December 14, 2020
Aside from some questionable on-ice play, including that shown in the clip above, some Swedish sportsbook sites were tipped off during the match about some betting irregularities and shut down betting for the duration of the game. Notably, Björklöven’s odds for victory were worse when leading 3-1 than they were prior to the game.
Inte den bästa bilden, men här är alltså oddsutvecklingen i @Bjorkloven mot Mora, taget från Bet365. I 3-1-ledning så är oddset på Björklöven-seger alltså lägre än det var före matchen. Det är ganska ovanligt. pic.twitter.com/WsetoHfXH7
— Christian Polsäter (@nokkan21) December 14, 2020
Even before the game, it was anticipated that this would be Ingram’s last week in Sweden as teams start to recall their prospects for a January season start. Per a few sources, we’ve confirmed Ingram will be coming back to North America this week.
Betting company Svenska Spel and the Swedish Ice Hockey Association have both announced separate investigations into today’s events.
Some Swedish media members are reporting they’ve been tipped off about previous games being fixed and Björklöven taking bizarre penalties—including some too many men calls and a delay of game call on Ingram—that ultimately helped lead to losses this season.
As of this reporting, no accusations have been confirmed as true, pending the completion of the national ice hockey association’s investigation.
This is a developing story. As more information on the situation becomes available, On the Forecheck will continue to cover it.