The Latvian Ice Hockey Federation refused to accept the transfer of Jānis Kalniņš to the KHL.
Jānis Kalniņš represented Tappara at the end of last season. Elmeri Elo / All Over Press
The KHL club Amur Khabarovsk announced at the beginning of July that they had acquired a Latvian goalkeeper in their ranks by Jānis Kalniņš.
Kalniņš, 30, said after the transfer was confirmed that he wanted to secure life after his hockey career for himself and his family by moving to the KHL. The move attracted a lot of criticism.
Now the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation said that the federation did not approve the goalkeeper’s transfer to Amur. According to IIHF rules, a player’s transfer must first go through the player’s domestic ice hockey association before it is accepted in the IIHF’s transfer system.
– Before refusing to accept the transfer, we contacted the IIHF and hoped that they would not impose sanctions on us as a result, the general secretary of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation Roberts Plųžės said For Sportscenter.
– This situation was completely clear to us, we cannot break Latvian law.
At the end of April, a regulation came into force in Latvia, which prohibited the country’s athletes, coaches and teams from participating in any tournament or series in Russia and Belarus. Persons who violate the ban will be kicked out of the Latvian national team, and it will not receive state subsidies.
Kalniņš is a familiar name from the goal of Jokerie and Tappara. Kalniņš played for the Jokers in the KHL for three seasons before joining Växjö Lakers, who play in the Swedish SHL, for the last season.
However, he ended last season in Tappara, where Kalniņš moved to on the threshold of the transfer deadline. He finally celebrated the Finnish championship with the club, but was able to play only three matches.