Karri Kivi: Kontiola appreciates years spent in Traktor

- Petri and I met in Tampere to discuss our future cooperation. I understood from this conversation that Petri highly appreciates all the years in Traktor. During his tenure in Chelyabinsk he has become a consummate professional and one of the leaders both in club and in the national team. It’s not surprising that Petri received several offers from NHL teams after his stellar performance in the Olympics and IIHF World Championship. He once had his chance in Chicago Blackhawks, but back then Petri was too young and missed the cut. Now Kontiola is a top-notch forward who gets a second chance in the best hockey league of the world. As Traktor’s head coach, I am disappointed with the fact that Petri is leaving, but in the meantime I would also like to wish him luck in this new turn of his career. If, for some reason, things do not work out for Kontiola, we will be glad to have him back here in Chelyabinsk.