Pictured: Róbert Ľupták, owner of the HC 21 Prešov club.
Source: TASR – Milan Kapusta
Liptovský Mikuláš, slovakia – In a move that has sent ripples through the Slovak hockey community, Róbert Ľupták, the Chairman of the Board for Hockey Club HK 32 Liptovský Mikuláš, has been handed a €500 fine by the Professional Hockey Disciplinary senate (SPH DK SZĽH). The penalty stems from a contentious match on September 26th,where Ľupták’s actions following the game against HC Prešov were deemed to violate several points of the disciplinary code.
The SPH DK found Ľupták guilty of conduct that falls under Article 44, Section 44.1, Point 44.1.1 of the Disciplinary Rules. His transgression involved a series of heated phone calls and messages directed at Petr Jonák,a member of the SZĽH referees’ commission. Ľupták reportedly contacted Jonák by phone to voice his displeasure with the officiating during the Prešov-Liptovský mikuláš game. During one of these exchanges,Ľupták allegedly issued a chilling threat: As long as I am in hockey,I will fight against you.
The situation escalated further when Ľupták attempted to contact Jonák again, this time sending an SMS message containing vulgar language. To substantiate their case, the disciplinary body received evidence including call logs and screenshots of the offensive text message.Tomáš Hronský, the head referee for the Tipsport League, who was traveling with Jonák at the time, served as a witness to the entire incident.
The SPH imposed the fine at the maximum penalty allowed. This decision was influenced by what they described as a “continuing tendency” of disciplinary infractions by Ľupták. The senate emphasized that this was not an isolated incident but rather a pattern of harassment. Moreover, they took into account Ľupták’s prior disciplinary record, which includes previous accusations for similar offensive behavior. This suggests a pattern of conduct that the league is unwilling to overlook.
- Author: © List/
- Source: TASR
