Russia still mourn Ukraine on the war bars. Therefore, Russia and Belarus were excluded from all IIHF World Cup in 2026.
Alexander Ovetshkin will not be seen in 2026 in Tournaments under IIHF. And not to see the Russian and Belarusian hockey teams.
Member of the Board of the International Ice Hockey Association Heikki Hietanen On Tuesday, there was a member of the IIHF meeting to decide that Russia and Belarus would not be able to participate in the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships.
– The decision applies to all teams in the countries, girls, boys, women and men. All in 2026 will be out of all IIHF World Championships, Hietanen explains to Iltalehti.
The decision of the International Ice Hockey Association was not even difficult. Russia is still mourning Ukraine on war bars.
– There is a discussion once a year. It is known that nothing has changed since last year, the same situation prevails. Let’s continue as before, it was an easy decision, Hietanen continues.
What about the Olympics?
In February 2026, the Olympic Games will be held in Italy. According to Russian and Belarusians, access is still open.
Ice hockey is one of the most watched sports. NHL players are involved in the Milano-Cortina tournament.
– The International Olympic Committee will decide on this. There will be the presidential elections in the spring. Then see what line they take. But IIHF’s decision was here, Hietanen says.
Tight iihf
The Canadian-French Luc Tardif is chairman of the International Ice Hockey Association. Pasi Liesimaa
The International Ice Hockey Association has been strict with regard to Russia and Belarus. IIHF excluded its countries outside its competitions at the end of February 2022.
Since then, hockey teams in the countries have been playing mainly with each other or with their racing states.
The Russian -driven hockey series KHL also lost a large part of its splendor in the spring of 2022, when foreign quality players left the league.
Hietanen got on the list
According to Heikki Hietanen, the exclusion of two military countries outside the IIHF tournaments for 2026 was an easy decision. Pasi Liesimaa
Hietanen has been chairman of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association since 2021. The man served as Managing Director of the Association from 2001 to 2009.
The long -time hockey influencer was also the Secretary General of the World Championships in Tampere, 2022 and 2023.
Hockey News publication raised Hietanen Money & Power in its special number on the list of external hockey influencers in 14th place.
Only two other Europeans were on the list: SC Bern chairman Marc lüthi and chairman of the Danish Ice Hockey Association Henrik Bach Nielsen.
– It was a bit surprising when I saw the magazine. I guess my long career in hockey is known. And what I have been involved in in the international reel must have worked. Quite North American -based listings in the magazine were, there were quite a few Europeans on different lists, says Hietanen.