Stig Wetzell
Encyclopedia
Stig Wetzell is a retired professional ice hockey
player who played in the SM-liiga
. He played for HJK and HIFK
.
Wetzell won the SM-liiga Championship twice, in 1974 and 1983. On both occasions he played for HIFK, which was his team for most of his career.
in his urine sample.
Wetzell's positive A- and B-samples caused Finland's 5-2 win over Czechoslovakia to be reversed to a 5-0 loss to the Czechs. It is still debated if Wetzell was intentionally using illegal substances. If Finland's 5-2 victory over Czechoslovakia had stood, Finland would have won bronze medals in the tournament.
Wetzell received an International Competition ban due to his doping in the 1974 Championship Tournament.
Later, Wetzell received an apology from the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, and he was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame
in 2004.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player who played in the SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
. He played for HJK and HIFK
HIFK (ice hockey)
HIFK is an ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland. The team plays at Helsinki Ice Hall. It was founded in 1897...
.
Playing career
Stig Wetzell started his SM-liiga career in 1967. He played in SM-liiga for 16 years before retiring in 1983.Wetzell won the SM-liiga Championship twice, in 1974 and 1983. On both occasions he played for HIFK, which was his team for most of his career.
1974 Doping Controversy
Wetzell's perhaps most infamous moment came when he was caught doping during the 1974 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Finland. Testers found illegal amounts of EphedrineEphedrine
Ephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant, and to treat hypotension associated with anaesthesia....
in his urine sample.
Wetzell's positive A- and B-samples caused Finland's 5-2 win over Czechoslovakia to be reversed to a 5-0 loss to the Czechs. It is still debated if Wetzell was intentionally using illegal substances. If Finland's 5-2 victory over Czechoslovakia had stood, Finland would have won bronze medals in the tournament.
Wetzell received an International Competition ban due to his doping in the 1974 Championship Tournament.
Later, Wetzell received an apology from the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, and he was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame
Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame
The Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame is part of the Vapriikki Museum Centre in Tampere, Finland and was created in 1979 to honor those individuals who have contributed to Finnish ice hockey...
in 2004.