Hockey players from the national teams of Russia and Belarus are not allowed to participate in international tournaments in the 2024/25 season, the statement said. official website of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
“Based on an in-depth analysis, the IIHF Council has come to the conclusion that the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian teams in international tournaments is not safe. Thus, the national teams of Russia and Belarus will not participate in competitions under the auspices of the IIHF in the 2024/25 season,” the organization said in a statement.
The IIHF also said it would continue to monitor the situation to examine the likelihood of the return of national teams and clubs from Russia and Belarus to international tournaments in the 2025/26 season. It is anticipated that this issue can be considered no later than May 2025, when the annual congress of the International Ice Hockey Federation will take place.
The national hockey teams of Russia and Belarus, as well as national clubs, were first suspended from participation in international tournaments in February 2022. In March 2023, the restriction was extended until the end of the 2023/24 season. So, the Russian national team has already missed the third season at the international level.
Earlier, the head of the body, Luc Tardif, reported that the decision to extend or cancel the disqualification would be made in mid-February 2024. The current Olympic champion is the Finnish team, which beat the The Russian team in the final of the 2022 Games hockey tournament. The Russians are the 2018 Olympic champions.
IIHF official website
Source : MatchTV
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