Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to participate in tournaments of the International Ice Hockey Federation while the war in Ukraine continues, the organisation’s president Luke Tardif said on Sunday.
“I hope Russia and Belarus will come back as soon as possible, because it will mean the war is over,” – Tardif said.
It’s a question of security for fans, our teams. Anyway, no visa, cannot travel.
And nobody knows how long it’s going to take.
I understand that sometimes there is a political approach. As a human being, I’ve got my own understanding of the situation. But with my IIHF cap, I have to take the decision following our executive and to protect our competition.”
Source: Tardif, quoted by ESPN