Ice hockey | Noora Räty and 15 other players of the Women’s Lions complained about Pasi Mustonen’s behavior

Sixteen To the women’s lions’ national team ring Pasi Mustonen last January, a player who was part of the head coach’s season anonymously told the Players’ Association that he had experienced unfair or improper treatment from Mustose.

The Finnish Ice Hockey Federation will take Mustonen’s case to the Finnish Sports Ethics Center (Suek) for investigation. President of the Ice Hockey Association Harri Nummela confirm information.

“The Players’ Association previously contacted us about statements made anonymously. Despite our requests, we have not previously received direct contact from the interested parties to enable a more detailed investigation and investigation,” says Harri Nummela.

“Now, last Saturday, we finally received a contact from a few people who are interested in the case. Based on these contacts, we have started investigating the case as soon as it became possible and asked for help from Suek. The Ice Hockey Federation will give all possible support to the investigation of the case. While the case is unfinished, we cannot provide legal protection for the parties involved and for the sake of privacy, comment further on the matter”, he continues.

It is not known how many players are involved in taking Mustonen’s case for Suek to investigate, but the 16 original players include former and current Lady Lions players.

“Our values, strategy and all our activities are based on the fact that we do not accept inappropriate behavior within the hockey family. If such withdrawals occur, we take them seriously and investigate the matter if and when the conditions are right,” says Nummela.

The letters of 16 players are told Marika Lehton in the newsletter he is writing Noora Räty – The Lion Queen (WSOY), which will be released on Thursday.

Nora Räty and 15 other players approached the Players Association with anonymous letters. In the letters, they “described their experiences with Pas and the impact of this activity on them,” the book says.

Noora Räty emphasizes in the book that it was not about criminal suspicions, but about the players’ perceived inappropriate behavior.

The players delivered the letters to the Players’ Association, which in turn gave the president of the Ice Hockey Association Harri Nummelan and CEO Matti Nurminen read them on Wednesday, January 26, 2022. On the same day, the Lionesses flew to Beijing.

According to the book, Mustose was also told about the players’ accusations in Beijing. Mustonen left Beijing in the middle of the tournament to go home, citing his family’s serious health situation.

Ilta-Sanomat has been trying to reach Muston to comment on the players’ accusations since last Friday, but Mustonen has not responded to Ilta-Sanomat’s numerous contacts.

The federal board of the Ice Hockey Association discussed the matter at its meeting in July, but even after that, according to the book, it was unclear how the investigation of the matter would continue.

“I personally hoped that the matter would receive an external, independent investigation, but I understood the players who were still thinking about revealing their names in order to progress the matter. The fear of being labeled as difficult and of their own position during and after their sports career made athletes sweep the things they experienced under the carpet. That kind of thing had to end, so that things could change in the future,” says Räty in the book.

According to the book, the players had considered that there would be material for Suek’s investigation in the things they experienced, but many of them were afraid to come forward with their names.

Now, however, Mustonen’s case is progressing to Suek’s investigation.