ZURICH (AP) — Russia and Belarus are to remain frozen out of International Ice Hockey Federation competitions through the 2025-26 season.
The IIHF decision on Tuesday covers all world championships and effectively next year’s Winter Olympic Games in Italy, although the International Olympic Committee has the final say.
“It is not yet safe to reintegrate the Russian and Belarusian national and club teams,” the IIHF said, because “the current security conditions do not allow the necessary requirements for the organization of tournaments guaranteeing the safety of all.”
The IIHF council said it will next assess the issue in May 2026.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are scheduled for Feb. 6–22 in Milan and Cortina.
Russia, in previous guises as the Soviet Union and Unified Team, has won the Olympic gold nine times. Russia won the silver at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, just weeks before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia and Belarus have been banned from international ice hockey tournaments since then.
The Russian Hockey Federation was displeased.
“Whatever decision has been taken now, the IIHF will have to allow our team back in any case, because without Russia the level of world championships is much lower,” said Pavel Bure, the ice hockey great who is the federation special representative for international affairs.
Bure disputed the IIHF’s security concerns and said Russia offered to organize extra security for the national team.
“In our opinion, this argument is not strong enough,” he said. “There are more than 50 Russians in the NHL. Russian swimmers, chess players and representatives of other sports are taking part in international competitions and there are no incidents happening.”
The IOC in 2023 green-lit Russian and Belarussian individual athletes participating in international events after meeting some conditions but they have remained banned from team events.
The 2026 Olympics will welcome back NHL players for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics
The Associated Press
