Washington Capitals forward Yevgeny Kuznetsov told that in the situation of the withdrawal of the Russian national team from international competitions, nothing depends on the players.
On June 12, Kuznetsov’s four-year suspension for using banned substances expired. A sample taken from a player after the 2019 World Cup match between the national teams of Russia and the Czech Republic has tested positive.
– Your suspension in the national team has expired.
– Yes, the disqualification expired, only the national team left.
– Do you believe the team will return?
– Let’s see. Nothing depends on us. They say play – let’s play. Otherwise, he will play against the Belarusians,” Kuznetsov told .
On February 28, 2022, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) suspended the national teams of Russia and Belarus from participating in competitions under its auspices. On March 22, 2023, the IIHF extended the suspension of teams for the 2023/24 season. The federation said the return of national teams from Russia and Belarus was uncertain.
Source : MatchTV

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