The return of the Russian and Belarusian national teams is extremely important for the International Ice Hockey Federation, the organization’s president Luc Tardif said at a press conference. However, the IIHF cannot risk canceling tournaments and players to achieve this goal, he stressed.
We will not risk the competition or the players. This is the most important thing for us. We must evaluate what will happen in the next two months , Tardif emphasized .
The admission of Russian hockey players to the competition will mean that the conflict in Ukraine is over, the president explained. The final decision on the participation of the Russian and Belarusian teams should be made in February to draw up a schedule of games and determine the participants of the Olympic Games, he stated.
Earlier, former American hockey player Ryan Whitney spoke in favor of the Russian team participating in the 2026 Olympic Games . According to the former athlete, the victory of the US team without their main rivals would be illegitimate.
Earlier, the head coach of the Russian team, Roman Rotenberg, indicated that the position of the International Ice Hockey Federation on disqualifying the team from international tournaments could change when Joe Biden leaves the post of US President. Russia could return to the international arena “even tomorrow ,” he explained.