The Ice Hockey Federation closed Tuomas Määtä’s national team playing in Russia for the season in August of last year. Tommi Määtä’s contract with SKA-Neftjanik was reported on Friday.
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The spring World Cup silver might be left to an ice ball player Tommi Määtä, 27, as the last competition medal. On Friday, it was reported that Määtt will move to play for Russia with the strength of SKA-Neftjanik, his twin brother Thomas followed by a two-year contract.
The duo is currently at their club’s training camp in Irkutsk.
Tuomas Määttä has represented Neftjanik since 2020. He signed an extension with the club in July 2022, and renewed his contract again this summer.
In August 2022, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association ruled that players who represented Russian clubs could not represent the national team in the season that ended due to the war of aggression in Russia.
Executive Director of the Ice Hockey Association Tobias Karlsson says that the association has not yet officially decided how it will deal with the national team athletes playing in Russia next season.
– So far, there is no official decision on the matter, because the decision a year ago was for one season.
The association will decide on the matter regarding the upcoming season again in August. Karlsson does not want to speculate on the decision before then.
Tommi Määttä moves to the professional league of Russia, one of the top countries in the sport, from Edsbyns IF of the Swedish league, where he played since 2016. Tuomas moved to Russia from the same club where he also started in 2016.
– Both series are tough. The reasons behind the transfer are probably related to sportsmanship, kinship and finances, Karlsson estimates.
Karlsson says that the president of the Ice Hockey Association Antti Parviainen has had a conversation with the Määtä brothers.
– Let’s see what is decided here. Of course, you have to communicate with them somehow.
Urheilu could not reach Tommi Määtti for comment.