Rene Fasel, former president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), said that international competitions would lose their level without Russian teams. He shared his opinion with him “Sports Express”.
“Have international competitions lost their level? Definitely! Remember the 1972 episode. Russia is very important in terms of international competitions. My heart hurts,” Fasel said.
On February 15, players of the Russian youth team sent a letter of objection to the IIHF. Here they reminded that the team was not allowed to finish the tournament canceled due to coronavirus in 2022, and in 2023 and 2024 they were not allowed to participate in competitions due to “security issues” in the SVO fund. In Ukraine – this is how the IIHF justified the decision. Hockey players wondered why there was a different attitude towards the Israeli national team, which also witnessed armed conflicts.
The IIHF Council met on February 12-13, 2024 and it was decided to extend the suspensions of Russia and Belarus for another season. The organization stated that the IIHF Council will continue to monitor the situation and in May 2025 will consider the reintegration of the Russian and Belarusian national teams for the 2025/26 season.
Previously in the name the two main Russian NHL stars.