Representative of Russia to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Pavel Bure told that the organization of the congress had not considered the question of revising the international ranking because of Russia.
Previously, the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) published a new ranking of national teams, taking into account the ended World Cup. Russia moved into second place, overtaking the Finns and just behind Canada.
— As a representative of Russia, are you allowed to participate in IIHF congresses, which usually take place during the World Championships?
— During this tournament in the Czech Republic, I participated in a general assembly by video link. But I can’t say that there was anything interesting for me there. No issues related to Russia were discussed.
— Have there been discussions about the need to revise the IIHF international ranking due to the fact that Russia came in second place there?
– No, that was not discussed either.
– What was there?
— The IIHF Executive Committee reports to Congress. There are certain votes. For example, where will the next world championships take place?
— Did Russia influence the fact that France will host the 2028 World Cup?
— No, I did not take part in this vote. But as a member of the executive committee, I voted on the Internet to determine where the lower division international tournaments would be held. However, last year and this year our representative was authorized to make such decisions. In general, nothing has changed here.
— I think the IIHF is delighted with the World Championships in the Czech Republic, where an attendance record was set.
— Yes, the tournament caused a lot of enthusiasm in the Czech Republic. But we are waiting for the moment when Russia returns to the world championships for hockey to reach a higher level.
— Have you watched the tournament matches, maybe the final?
“I’ve only seen snippets of the best moments,” Bure told .
By decision of the IIHF, the Russian team was suspended from three world championships (2022-2024) and will miss the fourth, which will take place in Sweden and Denmark in 2025.
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Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
