Ahead of Day 2 of the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh, and IIHF President Luc Tardif met with the media. They were asked about a wide range of topics, but one thing was on everyone’s mind: When would Russia be allowed to take part in International Ice Hockey Tournaments again?
“We would like as soon as possible the Belarus and the Russians back. Because first, it’s going to mean that the world will probably be somewhat bit higher,” Tardif told the attending media. “But we follow the suggestion of IOC. And for the team sports, for the time being they’re not allowed to participate on the Olympics.”
The World Cup of Hockey Could See Expansion in Years to Come
Because it stands at once, Russia and Belarus have been barred from team sports by the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation since invading Ukraine just after the Beijing Games in 2022.
Before the beginning of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games, the IIHF Council prolonged the ban on Russia and Belarus to the 2026-27 hockey season, citing safety concerns. As well as, the IIHF Council stated that it’s going to revisit its status at its next meeting in May, ahead of the following IIHF Annual Congress in Zurich.
The Russian Ice Hockey Federation didn’t just like the ruling and can appeal the IIHF Council’s decision. The International Olympic Committee stated that those countries could return to the junior ranks as early because the 2027-28 season. It’s a touching subject for not only the IIHF, which wants them back in its events, but in addition for the NHL, given the upcoming World Cup of Hockey in 2028.
However the NHL will follow the recommendations of the International Community, not only the IIHF and IOC, regarding Russia’s absence from these tournaments.
“We are going to follow what the international community is doing when it comes to athletics,” Bettman told those in attendance. “I don’t see any need for us to weigh in individually. And albeit, when it comes to our game and our players, wherever they’re from, if we are able to avoid geopolitical issues — not only this one but an entire host of others which are occurring — I feel that’s higher for the sport, higher for our players and higher for our fans.”
World Cup of Hockey Needs To Be Best-on-Best
Everyone agrees that it is just not ideal for considered one of the higher hockey nations to be absent. They’ve been dominant on the International stage for thus long. Nevertheless, their best result with NHLers going to the Olympics was a silver medal in 1998, when the sport was still played on International Ice. After that, the outcomes were bronze in 2002, 4th in 2006, sixth in 2010, and fifth in 2014.
While they’ve not won with NHLers, a Russian team on the Olympics or any IIHF event makes things more interesting. As a substitute of 5 hockey nations that might win, adding Russia makes it six. The group stage and medal rounds develop into harder. The Russians are at all times tough out.
A few of one of the best players within the NHL are from Russia, including Kirill Kaprizov, Nikita Kucherov, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, Artemi Panarin, Evgeni Malkin, Mikhail Sergachev, Alex Ovechkin, Vladislav Gavrikov, Sergei Bobrovsky, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and so many others.
The Russian Olympic Committee last competed on the 2022 Olympic Games, winning a silver medal. They took home the gold medal in 2018 after they defeated Germany 4-3 in a really entertaining game. But those included all KHL players, because the NHL didn’t send its players to the 2018 and 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
NHL and NHLPA Announce Olympics and World Cup of Hockey
The concept is for Russia to be considered one of the eight teams when the puck drops on the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. Nevertheless, nothing is given yet. We all know the NHL desired to add Russia to the 4 Nations Faceoff last yr and produce in Czechia as well, but a pair of countries didn’t want them there, so it was just Sweden, Finland, the USA, and Canada.
It continues to be an uphill climb for Russia to return to the massive stage. Hopefully, by 2030, when the Winter Games are in France, the Russians will field a team. However the goal is sooner. Nevertheless, the world has to recover before that happens.
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