St. Petersburg SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg spoke after the International Ice Hockey Federation extended the suspensions of the Russian national teams for another season. The decision, announced by the IIHF, will keep Russia and Belarus sidelined from international competitions during the 2024/25 season, with the council planning to reassess reintegration for the 2025/26 campaign.
Rotenberg emphasized that political dynamics and external pressures shape this stance. He noted that the IIHF is influenced by current leadership and expressed a belief that Russia has a clear opposition from segments of the international hockey community. According to his view, opponents fear facing Russia and prefer to block a strong team from competing. He argued that such moves clash with the core spirit of sport, and he remained hopeful that the hockey world will return to normal competition where Russia participates on equal terms.
The IIHF Council convened on February 12-13, 2024, and agreed to extend the suspensions for both Russia and Belarus through the 2024/25 season. The organization said it would continue monitoring the situation and would consider reintegration at its May 2025 session, aiming to decide about the 2025/26 season and the participation of Russian and Belarusian national teams.
Historically, the IIHF has taken measures regarding Russian participation. In the spring of 2022, Russian players were barred from international tournaments even with neutral status, and Russia lost the opportunity to host the under-20 world championship in 2023. The suspension was extended again for the 2023/24 season in March 2023, reflecting ongoing concerns around governance and alignment with international sporting bodies. The situation is regularly framed as a broader debate about sports diplomacy and the influence of international organizations on national teams.
Observers have highlighted friction points between the IIHF and other global bodies over Russia’s role in international sport. The ongoing debate centers on how sanctions affect players, teams, and national representation on the world stage, as well as how the sport’s governing bodies balance competitive integrity with geopolitical considerations. The current status leaves Russia and Belarus outside the regular international competition cycle for another year, while officials continue to evaluate possible pathways to reintegration. (Attribution: IIHF announcements and press coverage from the federation’s briefings.)