Kirill Kaprizov Is Heading To Norway With Love

Every year, Mats Zuccarello hosts a charity hockey game in Norway. He invites NHL players to play on a team against professional players from the Norwegian league (EliteHockey Ligen).

Of course, most of the NHL players are from other European countries. European Wild players who will be playing include Filip Gustavsson, Joel Eriksson Ek, Jonas Brodin, and former player Kevin Fiala. This year, Matt Boldy and Brock Faber are flying over from Minnesota to join the fun. That would be a big enough trip, but Friday’s news overshadows it because Zuccarello’s bestest bud is joining the fun from Russia.

Before we get into the crazy trip that Kaprizov has to undergo, let’s discuss the fact that Kaprizov went back to Russia during this off-season. With an entire year between the Summer When Kaprizov Was Stuck In Limbo and this year, perhaps things have cooled off. Either way, it’s nice to hear that he could return and hopefully spend a long time with his family this year.

His trip starts in Moscow, where he must fly to Istanbul. With the ongoing geopolitical tensions, there probably aren’t a lot of places that allow planes to fly in and out of Russia. So Istanbul it is!

Previously, Kaprizov’s Russian passport wouldn’t allow him entry into many European countries. But one bit of good luck makes this year a bit different. Last fall, the Minnesota Wild played in the Global Series in Sweden. Kaprizov was granted a one-year Swedish visa to play there. He can use that to fly from Istanbul to Gothenburg, Sweden.

His Swedish visa allows him into Sweden and further on into Norway. But he isn’t just flying into Norway. Instead, he will take a helicopter from Gothenburg to Lillehammer, where Zuccarello’s All-Star Game is taking place. Looking it up, it would be just over a 5-hour drive, but why not arrive in style?

Hopefully, Kaprizov’s helicopter entrance will be big and dramatic, a way to kick off the festivities. He could climb down a ladder with his hockey bag on his back while the helicopter hovers over the festival in the parking lot. 

Kaprizov's dramatic journey isn’t surprising when you think about his relationship with Zuccarello. Even though they played a good chunk of last season on different lines, their relationship as best friends forever could never be broken. It was serendipitous that Kaprizov just happened to get a Swedish visa that allowed him to be the superstar at this weekend’s game.

In a way, this three-leg journey is the easy way. Knowing their relationship, Kaprizov surely has thought about sneaking into Norway in someone’s suitcase to play in the All-Star Game for Zuccarello. And I’m sure Faber would be more than willing to meet him somewhere to lug him into Sweden, but this is much better for everyone.