LULEÅ. Burning in a peat bog in Norrbotten.
Then a cubic meter of gasoline was added and suddenly a full-blown fire broke out.
A necessary victory over Färjestad was a step in the way – but Luleå Hockey must use all the resources they have to put him down.
The pressure in the legendary H stand was definitely not the same. The information I received was that up to a hundred people from the bottom of their heart chose to boycott the match.
A sign carried a clear message: “Our love is none of your business.” Suitable for Team Captain Gustafson’s statement.
Anyway, Isac Brännström got cheers when he cleared the ice during the lineup.
The opening instead came in the middle period when C More production pictures rolled on the jumbotron and where Färjestad’s decisive and glamorous target was then presented quite insensitively.
Talk about the aquatic torture of already-stressed Luleå fans.
Now victory in the final replay over Färjestad was a bit on its way. Controversial Oscar Ingsund shook with a make-up goal at the end of the second half.
But victory tonight, after all, is nothing but a watering can on the sea of fire where during the week the flames reached the tops of the trees. Which Luleå has to find a quick fix for.
How can it turn out like this?
It’s only been a few months since Lulia played one of the fiercest SM finals ever. The Coop Arena was boiling and vibrating the concrete foundation as every cone stood during every second of the final matches. They created an atmosphere that will be talked about for a long time to come.
Takes a little silly shape
Yes, there really is nothing new under the sun when it comes to Luleå, except that she is now burning more aggressively than usual.
Because there is no place in the SHL bubble as strong as the sentiment around Luleå Hockey.
Here, hockey, fan culture and club affiliation are taken very seriously.
very serious?
It is up to the individual viewer to make the decision.
Personally, I love when people take things seriously and show that things are important, but some expressions have also taken on slightly silly forms.
Not least on social media, which often represents the trajectory of New Age suppression.
Then it’s often those who scream the loudest who hear the most — and social media is a far cry from reliable polls.
Losing in the seventh final at home was heartbreaking, and the only gold SM from 1996 still stands alone in the club’s proud cup treasury. But it also gave the feeling that with some additions to the team building, revenge could really come this season.
Now sea storms are all instead. Or a sophisticated forest fire.
But it’s also the dissatisfaction that’s been burning for a while and has gained a lot of fuel.
Branstrom Gate set fire to
Because there was a buzz during the fall: about the game, about some players, about the results and about a very weak team.
If we start with the purely sporting side, Lulia finished 10th with nine points before meeting Vergestad. Exactly the same position and points return after seven games a year ago. Luleå is also located in the CHL region.
Sports directors Stefan “Skogan” Nelson and Ulf Engmann had to endure increasingly harsh criticism, partly for the players they couldn’t keep (Lepisto and Omark), and partly for not finding sufficiently sharp replacements for Omark and Pontus Anderson.
Then came that gasoline and washing up the smoldering swamp in the form of a Sportbladet announcement that Isac Brännström had decided to move into the Småland house for the next season and had already finished with the HV71.
This was followed by an interview with Eric Gustafsson in the local newspaper in which he harshly criticized many fans and later apologized on the club’s website.
Then Expressen also came with information that fan favorite Oskar Ingsund is leaving the club after the season and is in lengthy talks with Växjö, possibly the club Luleå fans despise most in the SHL.
The taxi driver wasn’t impressed at all
He talks about Växjö.
Because in the middle of it all is also the player that most Luleå supporters hated above all when he played for Växjö.
Brendan Schneemen.
Despite this, Lulia’s management chose to hire Shnnimin, a luxury risk enterprise.
During this season’s opening games, most of the anger centered around the controversial Canadian, after some high-profile situations and Shinnimin was finally dropped for filming.
I barely had time to catch the taxi at the airport before the driver started, with sympathy for Luleå Hockey. He was not a fan of the loudest supporter at all.
Mixing profanity with words like “urban complex” and “crap.”
And when he released me he said: ‘Of course the club will be able to handle this, it has been through much worse storms.