– This is very scary. We’ve never been to a WC with all age groups before, so you’ll be left out. This is a very bad time, Alexander Bonsaksen told NRK.

The profile is concerned about the future of Norwegian hockey.

– This is very dangerous for Norwegian hockey. The national team is the mainstay.

On Friday afternoon ice hockey president Tage Pettersen confirmed the news that they were postponing all national team activities for the rest of the year.

This means, among other things, that the men’s and women’s senior national teams will be closed in 2023. Except for the men’s U20 national team which will compete in the WC in December.

Due to financial difficulties, the union has also fired five permanent government employees.

– Everyone will take a break for the rest of the year, if nothing positive happens on the revenue side, says Pettersen.

– Laughing at us

National team player Mats Rosseli Olsen was shocked by the news.

– Some felt a little embarrassed that a national team in such a big sport couldn’t do business in Norway. It’s a little disturbing that things would turn out like that, he told NRK.

Olsen, who plays every day for Frölunda in Swedish hockey, said he had heard about it from his Swedish teammates.

– They’re laughing at us now.

The national team manager is desperate

National team manager Tobias Johansson said they were informed of the move a few days ago.

– This is definitely not good. “This is not good for the national team program, which is my responsibility,” Johansson told NRK and added:

– I want to divide it into two different parts. In the short term, our players and managers are missing international experience, so we need to take the next step. Those matches and international breaks are invaluable for development. The long-term thing is that I believe we have built up a capital of trust in society, which I think will decline.

He said that for the national A team, the initiative will include two planned meets, one in November and another in December. For the latter, the plan is to gather the players who according to the national team management are the best at that time.

– Sad

Norwegian women’s hockey currently plays in the B-WC in China. Championship participation will not be affected.

– They have gone to the toilet in China. It went as intended, the ice hockey president said.

These drastic cuts come just weeks after the union confirmed a deficit of 9 million in 2022. This is 3 million more than they budgeted.

– It would be very sad for Norwegian hockey if they implemented such detrimental measures, former national team manager Roy Johansen told NRK.

– I was also surprised that this came so late. It will happen in August when all the national team activities are planned and will be implemented, he further said.