Athletistic / Hockey. Famous hockey agent Alexei Dementiev said that the Russian team has no chance of participating in the 2026 Olympic Games in Italy.

“There is no way we will be allowed to compete in the 2026 Olympics. Forget it! Make no mistake, we are trying to get to the IIHF from the wrong side. Developing hockey players who will be selected to the first round of the NHL draft Developing hockey players who needed it into the NHL.

Look what’s happening today. It is already rumored that the CHL – the Canadian Hockey League – wants to lift the ban on recruiting Russian and Belarusian players. Why did they decide this? Just because last year Russian hockey players were selected in the first round of the NHL draft, this year it is expected that the Russians will again select players in the first round of the draft. Canadians understand that they punished themselves by abandoning Russian hockey players. That’s it,” Dementyev said, as quoted by the Championship.

On February 12, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) decided to extend the suspension of the Russian and Belarusian national teams from international competitions under its auspices for the entire 2024/2025 season. The decision on Russia’s participation in the 2026 Olympic Games will be made in February-March 2025.


@sportru