Question of Belarusian national hockey team's admission to international arena to be reviewed in September
"The national teams of Russia and Belarus? They will return at some point. They are needed by our hockey family," said the President of the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Belarus national hockey team. Photo: FHB
IIHF President Luc Tardif stated that in September, the IIHF Congress will discuss the admission of the national teams of Russia and Belarus to participate in international competitions, writes "Belarusian Hockey".
"The national teams of Russia and Belarus? They will return at some point. They are needed by our hockey family, but we don't want to rush, we want to protect our competitions and ensure safety for everyone. There are also bureaucratic problems, besides, it depends on geopolitical events. We remain calm and wait, it's difficult to predict the timing. In September, we will have an important congress, and we will discuss this," he said.
Earlier, the IIHF Disciplinary Board overturned the federation council's decision to deny national teams admission to international tournaments for the 2026/27 season, which were suspended after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began.
Last week it became known that the Belarusian junior national team will play at the 2027 World Championship, which will be held in the USA from April 22 to May 2. The women's national and junior teams were also admitted to international competitions.