He was recruited to Västerås IK.
Barely two weeks later, Kalle Östman was ready for Leksand – which made the VIK fans furious.
– It was a difficult decision, says Östman.
Västerås looked to have stood for a real cape. The hockey allsvenska club presented Kalle Östman at the beginning of the month as their latest acquisition, which accounted for almost 40 points in the SHL the last two seasons.
Fans’ great love
But the merited new acquisition would only belong to the club for just under two weeks. Eleven days later, he left his new club, and instead signed for Leksand in the country’s highest league.
Kalle Östman’s decision really made the Västerås supporters look red. They were furious that the center opted out of games at the club he had just signed up for, and some attacked him on social media. But he can understand the anger and disappointment of VIK fans.
– I understand the supporters completely, there are no strange things. Västerås has dedicated supporters and when it comes up it is clear that they will be disappointed, I am fully aware of that, says Kalle Östman to Falukuriren.
“It’s unfortunate…”
He continues:
– Of course it is unfortunate if you think of Västerås. They have been very nice to me. Of course it’s not fun for them. But I did not want to hide and called “Zäta” (Patrik Zetterberg, sports director) and explained the situation immediately.
Kalle Östman grew up in Borlänge and has several years as a junior in Leksand. He believes that it has always been a dream for him to represent LIF in the SHL.
– I had signed for Västerås and looked forward to it. I had not jumped on anything. But this chance appeared with Leksand and they offered a longer contract (three years) which shows that they are serious and believe in me. It was a difficult decision to make, but it felt so good that I could not say no.
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