Ice hockey | The Russian NHL star was tricked into Norway in a special way without the country’s visa

Russian the movement of citizens in Europe has been restricted since the country began its full-scale war of aggression in Ukraine in February 2022.

Russians have practically nothing to do with Norway, whose authorities do not grant them visas for non-essential purposes.

NHL hockey player Kirill Kaprizov however, they managed to sneak into the fjords without a Norwegian visa, norjaislehti Verdens Gang (VG) and the Norwegian channel TV2 tell.

Kaprizov will participate in Norway Mats Zuccarello to the star match. Saturday’s match also celebrates the Lillehammer Winter Olympics organized 30 years ago.

Kaprizov and Zuccarello are teammates from the Minnesota Wild.

“Their friendship is strong. The fact that he’s doing this for Mats says a lot about their respect and love for each other,” Zuccarello’s manager Kevin Skabo said to TV2.

Manager told VG that he had received a written confirmation from the Norwegian Immigration Service that a person with a visa from a Schengen country can enter Norway.

It made Kaprizov’s trip possible, because he has an annual visa to Sweden. Kaprizov got a visa because the Wild played the NHL regular season in Stockholm last November.

According to Skabo, Kaprizov will arrive in Norway already on Friday by helicopter from Gothenburg. Kaprizov’s journey began with a flight from Moscow via Istanbul to Gothenburg.

“He is one of Mats’ best friends. Kirill said a long time ago that he was involved in this, and it was a setback when we thought the opportunity had passed, but then we found out that he had been in Sweden on a visa. Mats is now incredibly happy,” Skabo told VG.