Marcus “Lilys” Nelson was dropped if he died on stage.
Pictures during the unbridled celebration show how the cup is lacking in parts.
– These are unfortunate photos, I was beaten up, and I am not at all happy with the way they behaved, says Tibor Gregor in charge of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation.
Pictures poured in as Färjestad celebrated Sweden’s championship gold over the weekend.
The Le Mat Cup was part of the tribute at Stora Torget in Karlstad and hung in the nightlife.
– I saw the pictures and followed them in despair. The goldsmiths who were involved in the matter heard and were very worried. I called Vargstad on Monday to try to get an explanation, says Tibor Gregor.
‘It will never be taken back’
Pictures from the celebration clearly show the presence of two copies of Le Mat.
One is the original and the other is a newly produced replica.
– For some reason, we produced a version that Växjö first used last season. From the previous champions we recovered the trophy in an undesirable condition. Tibor Gregor says the damage was greater, so it won’t be fully restored.
“I had to put up with a lot”
The last Swedish champion before Växjö last year was Frölunda 2019.
Tibor Gregor does not want to delve into which club, when and how he ruined the original.
The trophy is about 100 years old and she had to put up with a lot. He hasn’t always been approached with caution and has gone through most things. Anyway, we were able to contact several goldsmiths who did a great job. Among other things, they manage to replace the base and make sure all the winners are engraved, so that it looks nice and tidy. It does not tolerate tougher treatment and clubs must respect that, ignoring it is very dangerous. Tibor Gregor says it’s still unstable despite additional reinforcements.
The original is used, among other things, in distribution on ice and in the television studio of broadcaster C More.
– The replica is not large and has a pronounced height, but it has at least the same shape. It also costs a lot of money, around 25,000 – 30,000 SEK. Tibor Gregor says the way it was treated is very dangerous, very expensive, and feels very unfortunate.
“It’s not just sports drinks”
It’s the version seen on stage at the field honors that Marcus “Lilis” Nelson drops behind him with outstretched arms.
In the photos afterwards, he still looks complete from afar, but during the subsequent celebration the clubs at the top were cut short.
The racket blades are still there, but the racket shafts are gone.
– I got a picture of Färjestad on Sunday that they locked the original in a glass cabinet in the office, that’s what they claimed anyway but I don’t know if it’s true. They have permission to use the original in an organized way, because of course they should be proud of it. Then, of course, it can’t be completely shielded in the rush of joy on the ice when they have the golden brains and the gold medals around their necks, when the season is over it won’t just be a sport, drink in the locker room and on the return trip, says Tibor Gregor.
“will be returned as soon as possible”
Färjestad and Luleå both get a clear A4 ahead of the crucial matches as they are described what they can and can’t do with Le Mat awards.
– When I contacted Färjestad on Monday, I received guarantees that the original should be perfectly fine, and should have been stored and defended according to our instructions. On the other hand, the replica is really messy, and I’ve asked to return it to us as soon as possible, says Tibor Gregor.
Färjestad won the gold at the 10th Swedish Championships after winning the decisive seventh match in the final against Lulea 3-0 in Norrbotten.