Ice Hockey Federation bans Russia and Belarus from all competition, strips Russia of 2023 World Juniors

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is the latest governing body to suspend both Russian and Belarusian teams from all competitions until further notice. Additionally, it has revoked Russia’s 2023 World Junior Championships hosting rights, a tournament planned for Novosibirsk and Omsk, that would have opened in late December.

IIHF president Luc Tardif said in a statement: “We were incredibly shocked to see the images that have come out of Ukraine. I have been in close contact with the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine and we hope for all Ukrainians that this conflict can be resolved in a peaceful way and without the need for further violence.”

The upcoming IIHF men’s world championship will be held May 23-29 in Finland. Just over a week ago, the Russian Olympic Committee’s men’s ice hockey team took silver at the Beijing Winter Games, losing 2-1 to Finland in the gold medal final. While the Belarusian hockey team did not participate in Beijing, it had recently been elevated to the IIHF top division, ensuring its place in the world championship, before the countries were expelled on Monday.

“The IIHF is not a political entity and cannot influence the decisions being taken over the war in Ukraine,” said Tardif. “We nevertheless have a duty of care to all of our members and participants and must do all we can to ensure that we are able to operate our events in a safe environment for all teams taking part in the IIHF World Championship.”

The IIHF says it will immediately seek a replacement host for the 2023 World Juniors tournament.

Tardif, who replaced longstanding IIHF president Rene Fasel last year, visited Kyiv in December to meet with representatives of Ukraine’s Ice Hockey Federation, discussing topics such as the country’s plans to build 25 additional ice rinks, a potential bid for the 2030 Winter Games and current issues within the Ukraine hockey landscape.

Also, the National Hockey League (NHL) condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and severed ties with its Russian business partners, days after Alexander Ovechkin, the Russian captain of the Washington Capitals and one of the league’s most prolific goal scorers ever, addressed the escalating conflict to the media.

“Effective immediately, we are suspending our relationships with our business partners in Russia and we are pausing our Russian language social and digital media sites,” the NHL statement read. “In addition, we are discontinuing any consideration of Russia as a location for any future competitions involving the NHL.

“We also remain concerned about the well-being of the players from Russia, who play in the NHL on behalf of their NHL clubs, and not on behalf of Russia. We understand they and their families are being placed in an extremely difficult position.”

The league occasionally promotes itself in Europe staging regular-season or exhibition games recently in Prague, Stockholm and Helsinki, and last holding an exhibition in Russia in 2010.

Ovechkin, Olympic hockey stars address Russia Ukraine conflict

The Russian superstar Ovechkin has come under severe heat as of late considering his longtime support of Putin, as evidenced by his Instagram profile picture of him and the Russian leader.

“Please, no more war. It doesn’t matter who is in the war — Russia, Ukraine, different countries — I think we live in a world, like, we have to live in peace and a great world,” Ovechkin said, on February 25, speaking for the first time since Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Pressed about his staunch support of Putin, Ovechkin responded: “Well, he is my president. But how I said, I am not in politics. I am an athlete and you know, how I said, I hope everything is going to be done soon. Everything I hope is going to end. I’m not in control of this situation.”

The 36-year-old hockey star described the situation as “scary moments” and said he doesn’t know yet whether his family – including his parents, wife and young son – will remain in Russia.

Still, Ovechkin continues to face harsh criticism, especially from a former Russian hockey journalist Slava Malamud and Czech Republic goaltending legend and 1998 Olympic gold medalist Dominik Hasek, both of whom have called his recent comments very weak.

“The NHL must immediately suspend contracts for all Russian players! Every athlete represents not only himself and his club, but also his country and its values and actions. That is a fact. If the NHL does not do so, it has indirect co-responsibility for the dead in Ukraine,” wrote the 59-year-old former NHL goaltender.

“I also want to write, that I am very sorry for those Russian athletes, who condemn V. Putin and his Russian aggression in Ukraine. However, at the moment I also consider their exclusion a necessity.”

Malamud, a U.S. based former hockey journalist, who has been Ovechkin’s biggest critic and has been blacklisted by the Washington Capitals, continues to vehemently express his feelings.

“I won’t be in the Hall of Fame. I can’t change minds. Ovechkin will be and can,” Malamud wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. “Contrary to what you think, his family risks nothing. One strong statement from him about how much he opposes the war and wants Russia to leave Ukraine will have a big effect on Russian people.

“He can undo a lot of damage he helped cause. He can own up to his mistakes. He can become a hero. He is one of very few people in the world who can do so quickly, easily and at no personal risk, if he chooses to,” Malamud wrote.

Six-time Olympian and former International Olympic Committee (IOC) athletes commission representative Hayley Wickenheiser has called for the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to take the ultimate step of booting Russia and invasion-supporter Belarus out of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.

“I 100-percent believe until Russia, the aggressor in this war, and anyone supporting Russia and the invasion and the killing of innocent people, until that stops Russia has no place in the Olympic Movement, which is about peace and the world working together,” Wickenheiser told The Canadian Press on Monday.

“I think they need to ban Russia, Belarus,” Wickenheiser opined as the IOC recommended Monday that Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials be excluded from competition by international sport federations.

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