Igor Varitsky criticises officiating in Nikita Soshnikov injury incident

1993 world champion Igor Varitsky believes the Nikita Soshnikov incident in Spartak's game against Traktor warranted a five-minute major and a game misconduct. He commented in a Sport-Express interview published on October 9.

Varitsky questioned the officials' decision after reviewing the incident from an additional camera angle. In his view, the referees should at least have assessed a standard boarding penalty.

He cited Grigory Dronov's contact with Pavel Poryadin as another example. Varitsky believes the Spartak player was ready to fall before the collision. Comparing the incidents, the former player called for similar offences to be judged consistently.

The game took place in Moscow on September 30 and ended in a 4-2 Traktor victory. Soshnikov was contesting the puck with Spartak defenceman Daniil Orlov before striking the boards front-first at speed. The 32-year-old forward was carried off on a stretcher. Varitsky's assessment represents his opinion of the officiating in that game.