Viktor Stalberg
ON THE RECORD · 10 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“I'm like, 'Where's my flight, what is going on?' So then my agent again calls me back like a few hours later. He's like, 'Yeah, the owner told Bob to f--- off; you're staying.”
Viktor Stalberg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-09
Stalberg recalled his agent calling back to say the owner overruled Hartley and he was staying.
“I call the GM [in Shanghai]. I talk to the coach; I'm discussing where I'm playing on the power play next game.”
Viktor Stalberg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-09
Stalberg described calling the GM and coach of Kunlun Red Star after a trade deal was arranged.
“I also had Bob Hartley as a coach there, which I'm sure you've heard stories about. He's a brilliant hockey mind, but he might not be the easiest to handle. When I was there, we did not maybe click at first.”
Viktor Stalberg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-09
Stalberg described his early relationship with coach Bob Hartley at Avangard Omsk during a video interview.
“My agent calls me again,”
Viktor Stalberg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-09
Stalberg recalled his agent calling him again to update him on his status with the team.
“You know, like, 'I'm getting fired tomorrow. No, no, I'm staying. I'm getting traded to China tomorrow. No, no, I'm staying.' So it was a crazy few weeks there, but it ended up great.”
Viktor Stalberg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-09
Stalberg described the chaotic few weeks where his status with the team kept changing before it ended well.
“I had a lot of interesting experiences,”
Viktor Stalberg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-09
Stalberg spoke about his time in the KHL during a video interview to promote sportsbook Ozoon.
“So I'm like, what is going on here? Like I'm traded, right? Like nobody says anything.”
Viktor Stalberg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-09
Stalberg described his confusion when no one at Omsk acknowledged the trade after he packed his bags.
“'Hey, Bob really hates you. He does not want to play you or anything else this year.' That this is the deal. Like, 'He's gonna just bag-skate you for the rest of the year, right?'”
Viktor Stalberg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-09
Stalberg recounted what his agent told him about coach Bob Hartley's feelings toward him.
“I go home, nobody calls,”
Viktor Stalberg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-09
Stalberg recounted going home and receiving no calls about his traded status.
“So pretty much within, you know, in a week's time, my wife thought I was crazy,”
Viktor Stalberg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-09
Stalberg laughed about how the back-and-forth trade saga made his wife think he was crazy.