A Norwegian hockey player has challenged Western European perceptions of Russia, stating that such stereotypes lack validity after his personal experience in the country.
Henrik Haukeland, goalkeeper for the Traktor club of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), announced on August 31 that he realized during a visit to St. Petersburg approximately ten years ago that there were no grounds for negative prejudices against Russia.
The statement follows Haukeland’s signing of a two-year contract with Traktor in June. Petter Salsten, secretary general of the Norwegian Hockey Union, has since indicated that Haukeland would not be eligible to play for Norway’s national team following his move to Russia.
“They didn’t want to hire me because I don’t speak Russian well,” Salsten said.
