The hero goalkeeper of the World Championships Henrik Haukeland‘s decision to move to the KHL club Traktor Chelyabinsk for the next season has sparked considerable discussion in hockey circles.

According to Russian sources, the goalkeeper, who earns about 650,000 euros per season, lost his place in the Norwegian national team as a result of the transfer, which stated that KHL players would not be selected for the national team.

However, not everyone condemns Haukeland’s decision. The captain of the Norwegian national team Andreas Martinsen says he understands the former Liiga goalkeeper’s choice.

– We in the player group feel that it is a shame to lose the best goalkeeper of the World Championships and a nice guy, but I fully understand his choice and it is completely deserved that he gets this opportunity, Martinsen commented on Haukeland’s decision in an interview with the Norwegian TV2.

The 31-year-old Haukeland justified his decision in an interview earlier this week. According to the goalkeeper, he had previously turned down several lucrative KHL offers due to the ongoing war in Russia.

However, the situation has now changed. According to media reports, Haukeland’s new salary in the KHL is several times higher than what he earned previously in the German DEL league.

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