Fredrik Claesson will play for CSKA Moscow next season.
Fredrik Claesson played nine NHL games in the Tampa Bay Lightning shirt last season. AOP / USA TODAY Sports
Swedish defender Fredrik Claesson signed a one-year contract with the Russian army club CSKA Moscow.
Claesson, 29, negotiated with Djurgården, who play in Sweden’s second-highest division, after the end of last season, but chose Russia and the KHL.
Claesson just moved from Djurgården to North America for the 2012-2013 season. He then went to the Ottawa Senators organization.
– Even when we were negotiating, we got indications that he wants to go to Russia. He has played for several years in the United States without getting much money. So it happened, as we feared. I think it was for him that he either stays in North America or gets a good deal in Europe, Djurgården’s sporting director KG Stoppel comment For Expressen.
“We are not politicians”
Agent of the Swedish defender Aljoša Pilko opened the background of the contract For Expressen.
According to him, Claesson had no other choice but to move to Russia.
– This agreement was made before the new year. The rules are clear: play or pay back. Terminating the contract would be very expensive.
Pilko also got frustrated with the Swedish newspaper’s inquiries about the criticism that Claesson has received because of the contract.
CSKA Moscow is a club of the Russian army. Russia is bombing and killing civilians in Ukraine. People who are not a danger to the Russian army.
– From a hockey point of view, this was the best thing that could happen. This is the biggest club in Europe.
– We are not politicians, we play sports and do what is best for our hockey career, and no one can judge us for that, Pilko continued.
Claesson spent 10 years in North America, but mostly played in the AHL.
Claesson is not the only hockey player who has signed a player contract for next season with a country that invaded another state. Among other things, last week a Latvian Janis Kalnins the contract with Amur Khabarovsk was published. Kalnins said at the time that the reason for the transfer was life after his hockey career and securing it.
Canadian Eric O’Dell in turn signed an extension with Dynamo Moscow.
Russia expanded its war of aggression at the end of February and has bombed civilian targets, killing children, women and the elderly.
Stoppel said that Claesson has his own values that he lives by.
– I think it’s boring. I think it’s sad that hockey still hasn’t really addressed this problem anywhere, like soccer has.
In his career, Claesson has played 170 NHL regular season games with an output of 7+21. Last season, Claesson represented the Tampa Bay Lightning and played nine games in the NHL.
In addition to the Lightning, he has played for the Senators, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks.
In the AHL, he has played in 379 regular season games, with 16+87=103 power points.