Hockey official Leonid Weisfeld said why he does not plan to closely monitor the events of the beginning of the world championship.
The tournament takes place from 12 to 28 May in Latvia Riga and Finnish Tampere.
“I will not be following the World Cup in particular. There is no interest in the tournament for two reasons. Firstly, there is no one to root for due to the absence of the Russian team. Secondly, there will be no players who can stand out.
I also do not think that hockey will be shown at a high level in the championship. First of all, because the Russians do not speak. And the favorite, like all world championships, is Canada,” Weisfeld says. Vprognoze.ru.
Recall that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) decided to exclude Russian hockey players from participation in international tournaments even with neutral status, and Russia took away the right to host a home youth world championship in 2023.
In early July 2022, the IIHF disciplinary committee rejected the Russian Ice Hockey Federation’s (RHF) appeal for admission to international competitions.
Former former Spartak and Sochi defender Nikita Shitov ConfessedHe will watch the World Cup without the Russians.