The 27-year-old Press made its debut in Tre Kronor last season and played two international matches.
Now he risks being suspended from national team games next season. The union has launched the proposal, but the decision – which will be made by the union board – has not yet been made.
– I do not want to precede the decision that the federal board must make before the start of the series after the summer. For us and for me, there is a very big difference between players who were in agreement when the invasion began and their struggle to get out. That’s another thing. We know how complicated it is, says Johan Stark and continues:
– If you have players who actively choose to sign contracts there. It is remarkable if you talk based on the values and feelings that exist around this.
Basketball star Jonas Jerebko signed during a big riot at the end of March for CSKA Moscow. One of the consequences was that he was stopped from national team games.
Robin Press is the first Swedish ice hockey player to sign a new contract in the KHL after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February.
– We have not been in contact with him or any agent and I can not answer for how his or their thoughts have gone. It feels strange just considering that we spend so much time and have a dialogue with the lawyers at IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation), the players themselves and their agents to get our Swedish players to get out of there, says Johan Stark.
The site hockeynews.se wrote some time ago that seven Swedish players are stuck in KHL contracts over the coming season as they have written before.
Among them are hill Theodor Lennström, who won Swedish Championship gold after being loaned to Färjestad, and Daniel Zaar, who finished the season on loan in Rögle.
The IIHF’s message right now is that they can not do as the International Football Association Fifa has done and let foreign players with contracts in Russia pause their contracts.
The general secretary of the association has no fears that more players will do as Robin Press and apply to Russia.
– No, I have not had that feeling at all. Almost all of my working time in recent months has been having an ongoing dialogue with the IIHF and anxious players. I was surprised when I read about this. I have a hard time believing and do not want to believe that it will be so.
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IIHF message: Cannot break KHL agreement
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