Tallinn Viiking Sport won’t play Continental Cup in Nottingham

16 Oct 2013 | Davide Tuniz

Due to visa problems, Estonian champion won't play the Continental Cup Second Round. Spanish Bipolo Vitoria will replace them.

Tallinn Viiking Sport, winner of Continental Cup First Round in Belgrade, announced that the team won't fly to Nottingham for the Second Round of competition due to visa problems. Apparently, the club simply forgot to request visas in time for all its eleven foreign players who constitute more than half of the roster. Despite the issue of visas to the UK takes about 15 days, less than a week ago, the team announced two other Russian players (Gleb Iskandarov and Danil Galimullin), whose names appear in the entry list of players to perform in Nottingham. Plane tickets for the trip in London have already been purchased and together with 23 players planned to go at least eight members of the staff team..Now the team will have to pay fines from the IIHF and could be suspended from club competitions.

Spanish champion Bipolo Vitoria-Gasteiz, finished second in Belgrade first round will replace Tallinn on the tournament schedule and will start with a game against the Nottingham Panthers on Friday.

"Ice Hockey UK are very grateful for Vitoria-Gasteiz stepping in at such a late stage and I know the Panthers are too. They had no obligation to come but, after visa issues with Tallinn, Vitoria-Gasteiz have done their country and ice hockey proud." said Andy French, Ice Hockey UK general secretary on Nottingham Panthers website.