The International Ice Hockey Federation has banned Russia and Belarus from the competition

IIHF World Championship 2020- Canada vs Belarus Image Credit

The IIHF Council reviewed the effects of the present war during an extra-ordinary meeting conducted on Monday, February 28. The IIHF strongly opposes the use of armed action in conflict resolution and instead supports the use of diplomatic means.

The Council of the IIHF has determined to take the following steps:

• All Russian and Belarussian National Teams and Clubs have been banned from competing in any age group or in any IIHF contests or events until further notice.
• Russia's hosting rights for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship have been canceled. 

The Council has taken these two steps in order for the IIHF to guarantee the safety of IIHF Championships as well as all players, officials, and spectators.

This decision would have an impact on the following actions in the current situation:

• HK Gomel of Belarus will not participate in the 2022 IIHF Continental Cup (March 4-6, 2022).
• Russia and Belarus men's U18 teams will not participate in the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship (21 April-01 May 2022).
• The 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship will take place from May 13 to May 29, 2022. The men's national teams of the Republic of Congo and Belarus would not participate.
• Russia's women's U18 national team will not participate in the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship (dates to be announced).
• Russia's men's U20 national team will not participate in the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship (dates to be announced).
• Women's World Ice Hockey Championships, 2022 (26 August-4 September) - The ROC women's national team will not participate.

In the next weeks, any potential sporting consequences of the Council's decision on tournament seeding and promotion/relegation will be published.

From December 26, 2022, to January 5, 2023, the IIHF World Junior Championship was scheduled to take place. In the next months, the IIHF will begin efforts to locate a replacement host for the event.

The decision to change the event was made primarily to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants, officials, and spectators. The IIHF Council also expressed deep concerns about the safety of players and officials traveling to, from, and within Russia. The IIHF Council also considered the Russian government's violation of the Olympic Truce, which was enacted as a UN resolution by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2021. Last Monday, the International Olympic Committee's Executive Board condemned the infringement of the Olympic Truce.

The IIHF Council has not ruled out the prospect of further actions having an impact on future events or other IIHF activities but prefers to see the war ended quickly and peacefully.

"The IIHF is not a political organization and cannot sway decisions on the war in Ukraine," IIHF President Luc Tardif remarked. "We do, however, owe a duty of care to all of our members and players, and we must do everything we can to ensure that our tournaments are run in a safe atmosphere for all teams participating in the IIHF World Championship program."

"The pictures coming from Ukraine have shocked us," Tardiff added. "I have been in regular contact with members of the Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation and we hope that this situation can be resolved peacefully and without the need for additional violence for all Ukrainians."

Source: IIHF

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