Vasa Sport has given up the fight for a place in the playoffs. Instead, they sell off all key players – including Axel Holmström, who has already signed on for two more years in Vaasa. Circus, says his agent to Yle Sporten.
Niko Hovinen to Tappara. Shaun Heshka to Lukko.
It started to move quickly after Vaasa Sport at the weekend suddenly announced that they are throwing in the towel for this season. Despite the fact that the “eagles” can still in theory reach the playoffs, they choose to sell all key players.
This also applies to Axel Holmström, who accounted for 40 points in 48 games – and who signed a two-year extension earlier in the season.
“What a fucking circus”, stated his agent Martin Nilsson earlier during the day of the site HockeySverigeand signs the same statement when Yle Sporten calls him up.
– A little so yes. In terms of communication, this weekend was a pancake for Vasa Sport. They probably realize that themselves, I don’t need to give them a grade for that, says Nilsson.
“It gets weird when they try to control the market”
The problem is that Vasa Sport did not communicate anything to the players or their agents before the message dropped like a bomb: now you can find other employers.
In Axel Holmström’s case, the problem is that he is not allowed to choose a new club himself – on the contrary, Sport is pressuring him to go to the clubs that pay the most for him.
– It becomes strange when the club tries to control the market for a player who has signed for two more years. There is still much that must be true. You don’t want to join a club that is fighting against relegation or a club you feel no loyalty to, says Nilsson and continues:
– Axel has ended up a bit between the sticks and can’t make a decision as Sport will have a fairly high amount of money for him and the clubs we think are interesting think it’s too much.
Axel Holmström has been one of Sport’s most important players this season.
Image: Vesa Pöppönen / AOP
Axel Holmström, Vasa Sport
Legally, Sport cannot sell players to clubs that the player does not accept. But the player cannot force Sport to agree to a transfer either.
And the thing about trying to find a joint solution?
– It feels a bit like the money goes first and we feel that is strange. We feel that they don’t want to meet us halfway. There is no certainty that Axel wants to play for the clubs that offer the most. So it will be a bit of a “catch 22” for us, says Nilsson before adding:
– Axel is a bit kidnapped.
“Had no plans to leave – quite the opposite”
Nilsson is nevertheless clear in emphasizing that the current move not affects Holmström’s future in Vaasa. The forward has also told Yle Sporten himself that he enjoys Kopparön.
– It is very important to point out that this has nothing to do with the future. But it’s about playing somewhere else in the spring. But Axel had no plans to leave. On the contrary, he has extended – they are the ones he wants to play with and fight for.
– Now he becomes a mercenary without having been told about it in advance.
Nilsson also emphasizes that he understands Vasa Sports’ perspective on a theoretical level. He therefore also does not think that the Vasasoppan affects the Swedish players’ eagerness to move to Finland in the future on a general level.
– This would not have to be anything negative. Actually, this could be a positive thing. Vasa looks set to miss the playoffs, so can the player make a little more money by running away and playing for another team? Then it will be a win-win.
– But now we feel that it is more important for Sport to make money than that the player is doing well, says Nilsson.
Vasa Sports CEO Tomas Kurten did not have time to respond to Nilsson’s comments on Monday. He is a guest on Yle Vega Ostrobothnia’s morning broadcast after 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
