Terrible news for Norwegian hockey: the national federation was forced to disband the national team. The president of the federation Tage Pettersen announced that he was restricting the activities of the national team until the end of 2023, according to the NRK portal.
“Everything is on hiatus until the end of the year, unless there is a positive change in revenue,” Pettersen said.
The budget deficit was exceeded by one and a half times
This means that the team will run out of training in the two international breaks scheduled before the New Year. In November, Norway was scheduled to play in Riga with Latvia and Denmark, in December, matches with Latvia and Slovakia were scheduled in Bratislava.
Norway was forced to take such drastic measures due to heavy losses. In 2022, the ice hockey federation’s budget deficit amounted to 9 million kroner (about $845 thousand), about 3 million kroner more than forecast.
Norway is a small power by hockey standards, regularly providing the world with quality players and has been in the elite division of world championships since 2006, sometimes shooting sensational victories over favorites, but still unable to show development. stable and a qualitative leap. . At the last Olympic Games, the Norwegians fell completely out of the standings, for the first time since 2006.
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Helsinki-born Juha Kaunismäki, who previously played for the Norwegian national team and now manages the Stavanger team, attributes the team’s poor funding to its unsatisfactory results.
“It is a shock, I am surprised that this can happen at this level. It is a winter sport and Norway is one of the richest countries in the world. But in hockey they fail to win medals. In Norway, Olympic status means a certain level of funding. The state gave money when the team had Olympic status. The team showed little progress, but the sport was still not moving forward.
There was a spike when we first got to the World Cup quarterfinals. There was enthusiasm, the matches were broadcast on federal channels so that everyone could see them. Then Mats Zuccarello made his way to the NHL, there were other star players, but this sport has not yet conquered the whole society. Then there was a time to move hockey forward, as it has been done in Finland for a long time.
Norwegians are crazy about football, then there are winter sports. At the national team level, handball is still very popular, but at the club level, hockey bypasses it. Here the hockey club championship is more important than the national team matches, ”he says in an interview with Iltalehti.
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“They’re already laughing at us”
“Shocking news. I am surprised that a national team in such an important sport cannot do business in Norway. Worrying that this is happening. Strange feeling that the team is not coming together in the autumn. My Swedish colleagues are already leaving laughing at us,” said Frölunda striker Mats Rosseli Olsen.
“Of course it’s embarrassing. It is also alarming because this affects not only the main team, but in general all national teams. It is not yet possible to say how this will affect Norwegian hockey. Obviously, this is bad for the team, for which I am responsible. In the short term, our players and coaches are losing the international experience they need to take the next step. These matches and breaks for the teams are invaluable in terms of development. In the long run, we will start to lose the trust of our fans,” said Tobias Johansson, the team’s technical director.
“It’s scary, we’ve never been represented at world championships in all age groups before, and now we’re being knocked out. Very intrusive. This is extremely dangerous for Norwegian hockey. The national team is the flagship”, says defender Alexander Bonsaksen.
“It is sad for Norwegian hockey that they are forced to take measures that will hit them so hard. I am also surprised that the decision was made so late, in August, when all the activities of the national teams are scheduled”, says former coach Roy Johansen.
The youth team, which for the first time since 2014 reached the elite for the first time since 2014, is not yet under reduction and must play in the MFM-2024 in December-January. The women’s team also managed to leave for China, where the 2023 World Cup began in the first division on August 20.
At the moment, the 2024 World Cup is in the Norwegian team’s plans, but the matter may not be limited to 2023 alone. “From the information I received, the plans are to return in 2024. I have already started calling our best players, there are fears that the hiatus will continue after 2023,” Johansson warned.
