Roman Rotenberg says that he discussed the World Cup with the NHL.
According to Roman Rotenberg, the Russians are ready for the World Cup. PDO
NHL assistant commissioner Bill Daly announced last week that the league’s goal is to have the World Cup on the puck calendar in 2024.
Daly said he wants to see the Russian team in the tournament. The attitude is very different from that of the International Ice Hockey Federation, which has banned Russia and Belarus from all its international matches.
Now the vice president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation has a position to take on the matter Roman Rotenberg.
– Can Russia participate in the World Cup without a flag and national anthem? We need to look at the source of this information, as there are currently a lot of vague sources. We have talked with Bill Daly and the NHL, we have not received an official statement, he says for the Russian Championat.
One question is who would coach Russia in the World Cup. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, he stood behind the bench Alexei Zhamnov.
According to Rotenberg, this may not be the case in 2024.
– I have understood that the NHL decides. They can suggest a coach because it’s their players. The NHL players’ association, the NHLPA, decides these matters. We cannot influence.
According to Rotenberg, the Russians are ready if permission to return to international fields comes.
– We are ready to play if we get permission to do so. We are ready to accept a challenge from any team.
A strong statement
Russia lost the Olympic final to Finland in February. PDO
The tournament, known as the Canada Cup until 1991, was last held in 2016. The NHL wants the next World Cup to have eight teams.
According to Daly, it would be a shame if Russia was not included.
– We recognize the value that Russia brings to international hockey tournaments. It would be a real shame if our Russian players, who have done nothing wrong, were not given the opportunity to compete in the best against the best competition. We’d like to find a way to make sure that doesn’t happen.
At the same time, Daly admitted that the current world situation is difficult.
– Facts are facts. What happens in a conflict is relevant on a world scale on a moral level. We have to prepare to make the right decisions and in the end we will, but we don’t have to make them today, he said last week.
Canada won the previous World Cup. Finland lost all three of its opening group matches and finished last in the entire tournament.
The last time Russia played in a big international tournament was the Beijing Olympics. President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine just four days after the Olympic final.