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NHLers welcome in Sweden, rules country’s competition authority

Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Matt Greene

Vancouver Canucks’ Daniel Sedin, left, and his twin brother Henrik Sedin, both of Sweden, celebrate Henrik’s goal as Los Angeles Kings’ Matt Greene, bottom right, looks on during the first period of game 5 of an NHL Western Conference quarterfinal Stanley Cup playoff hockey series in Vancouver, British Columbia on Sunday April 22, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)

AP

NHL players must be allowed to play in the Swedish Elite League during a lockout, the country’s Competition Authority has ruled.

The ruling comes weeks after the league decided to ban locked-out NHLers, a decision that led to grumbling from a number of individual teams over the missed opportunity to sign Swedish superstars like Henrik Lundqvist and the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik.

The Competition Authority likened the league’s ban on NHL players to a cartel.

It’s not clear whether this is the end of it, or if the league could appeal the anti-trust ruling.

The Sedin twins have said they won’t be returning to their old club, Modo, unless it looks like the NHL season will be canceled.