Former Russian national team striker Yevgeny Artiukhin said he regrets that talented Russian hockey players will not be able to participate in the Olympic Games in 2026 and 2030.
On Friday, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced that NHL players plan to participate in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Games.
— Nikita Kucherov said without Russia, the 2026 Olympics would not be a tournament of the best. Do you agree with him?
– I completely agree. Without the Russian team, such a tournament would not exist. Our team is considered one of the strongest in hockey. There are a lot of young players who are progressing at the moment and it would be interesting to see them in the national team. And I feel sorry for guys like Kucherov and many others who are deprived of the chance to compete in the Olympics.
— But is there still hope that the Russian team will participate in the 2026 Olympics?
“I hope that common sense will prevail and political issues will take second place. Athletes should not suffer because of politics. If the Olympics are held without the Russian team, then I think it will be inferior, ”quotes Artyukhin RB Sport.
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be held from February 6 to 22, 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy). The last time NHL players competed on the Olympic arena was at the 2014 Sochi Games. Previously, NHL players also competed at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano (Japan), 2002 in Salt Lake City (United States), 2006 in Turin (Italy) and 2010 in Vancouver (Canada).
By decision of the IIHF, the Russian team was suspended from participation in competitions under the auspices of the organization. The head of the body, Luc Tardif, indicated that the decision to extend or cancel the disqualification will be made in mid-February 2024. The current Olympic champion is the Finnish team, which beat the Russian team in the final of the hockey tournament of the 2022 Games. The Russians are 2018 Olympic champions.
RB Sport
Source : MatchTV
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