Russia and Belarus will stay out of the ice hockey title competitions in 2023.
Recently, there have been views in the public domain, for example from the decision-makers of the International Olympic Committee and the International Ski Federation, in which Russian athletes would be allowed to participate in sports events in the coming months.
For the 2023 World Ice Hockey Men’s World Cup tournament Vladimir Putin the favorite team and Belarus do not have the right to participate, announces the member of the board of the International Ice Hockey Federation and the general secretary of the 2023 World Cup in Tampere Heikki Hietanen.
– Even if the war ends tomorrow, these previously announced teams will play in the tournament. Then others have nothing to do with the games. The decisions of the International Ice Hockey Federation have been made, and there is no reason to change them, Hietanen states.
– Unfortunately, the war doesn’t seem to end anytime soon, he continues.
Russia and Belarus were also shut out of competition last spring when Putin began his war of aggression in Ukraine.
– The lower divisions of the World Cup 2023 have also been filled, and there are no extra places. Time will tell when there could be a situation in the world where these two countries could be involved.
Blurry view
Vladimir Putin and other Russian players are banned from the 2023 World Hockey Championships. EPA / AOP
The Ice Hockey World Cup has been planned for 2024. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly opened the door to Russian participation last week.
– The negotiations between the management of the IIHF and the management of the NHL have not led to anything. No need to speculate. The outlook is pretty blurry for the World Cup, Hietanen states.
Heikki Hietanen is a member of the board of the International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF and general secretary of the World Championships in Tampere. Jussi Saarinen