First Vice-President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RHF) Romain Rotenberg said the team Russia is ready to participate in the World Cup, but the decision rests with the National Hockey League (NHL).
– Don’t you think that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are losing the initiative by not developing international hockey – while the NHL is creating a tournament with the participation of all stronger ?
— We need official information about the World Cup. In addition, the NHL must settle all legal issues with the players’ union.
And we are ready to play. And it’s a very important tournament for everyone, but there are no details. And we are always up for a challenge. It’s important when the best play with the best. In this case, there is no confrontation between the NHL and the IIHF. They are completely different organizations. But I repeat that the information on the World Cup is still mythical. There is nothing official here.
The Toronto tournament in 2016 helped us win the Olympics two years later. We saw how Crosby and Getzlaf prepared – and we went from there.
At the same time, the organizers of the World Cup forbade us to do training camps, to train as a team. But what did the Canadians themselves do? They prepared separately, in triplets. It was not forbidden. So they prepared well. If we could do the same, we could defeat them.
— What if he appoints his own person as the head coach of the Russian NHL team, for example, New Jersey coach Sergey Brylin?
I can’t comment on anything here. But we as FHR are always ready to participate in the tournament and make all the decisions ourselves. It is as it should be. But the NHL can make any decision because NHL players are legally under the auspices of the players union. Therefore, they hold all the cards,” Rotenberg told reporters.
The Ice Hockey World Cup is scheduled to take place in February 2024. Earlier it was reported that Russian hockey players will be able to play in the tournament, but without the flag and the national anthem.
Source : MatchTV
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