HV71 Thrives Amid Björn Liljander's Indefinite Sick Leave with Consecutive Wins

HV71's sports manager Björn Liljander is currently on indefinite sick leave, a development that has caused concern within the team. Head coach Anton Blomqvist expressed sadness upon hearing the news directly from Liljander, stating, "It is very unfortunate, and we think of Björn and his family." Despite the absence of their key leader, the team has shown notable resilience and maintained strong performance levels. Fredrik Stillman has been appointed as interim sports manager during Liljander’s absence.

HV71 recently secured a commanding 6-1 victory over Djurgården in a high-emotion match at Hovet, Stockholm, marking their second consecutive win. The win was crucial for HV71 to move off the bottom of the SHL standings, surpassing Linköping. Mattias Tedenby opened the scoring, followed by Aleksi Heponiemi, Hugo Pettersson, Riley Woods (who scored twice), and Nicola Pasic completing the tally. The match included several fights, highlighting the intensity and importance of the game. Djurgården’s goalkeeper Magnus Hellberg was sidelined due to illness, with Hugo Hävelid replacing him but unable to secure a victory in five attempts.

Players dedicated the win to Liljander, with Andreas Borgman stating, "It feels super good. We needed to do this for him." Axel Rindell and others remain confident that the team's focus and performance will not be significantly disrupted by the managerial change. Coach Blomqvist praised both the team's improvement and the fans’ support, equating the atmosphere to a home game.

HV71's ability to withstand leadership changes and continue strong performances underlines the squad's determination in a difficult period, with hopes high for Liljander's recovery and return.