Zuccarello might be banned from Norwegian national team

08 May 2013 | Fredrik Pålsson

Norwegian NHLer Mats Zuccarello Aasen might be stopped from joining the Norwegian roster at the World Championship even if his team is eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs due to a private sponsor deal.

Mats Zuccarello Aasen is one of Norway's best players and his team New York Rangers is close to be eliminated from the Stanley Cup but still he won't probably be welcome to join Team Norway at the ongoing World Championship in Stockholm.

Zuccarello Aasen has a private sponsorship deal with betting site Unibet and as the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation main sponsor is the Norwegian betting company Norsk Tipping the federation thinks it is unloyal to have a sponsorship deal with a competitor to their main sponsor and won't allow him to play with the National team unless he cancels his contract with Unibet.

Norsk Tipping's communications director Einar Busterud think the federation has made the right decision and told Norwegian newspapper Nettavisen "Zuccarello has created a career that for a big part has been financed by Norsk Tipping. He had not been a hockey player without Norsk Tipping, without or money to the sport he had been playing roller hockey on a parking lot".

Zuccarello himself says "What I'm doing as a private person is up to me. When I'm with the National team I will represent what they stand for. But if I'm on holiday during the summer and wears a Unibet t-shirt, I think it's none of their business."