The national team of the Russian Federation can be returned to big hockey already at the U20 World Youth Championship, which will be held in Swedish Gothenburg at the end of 2023, media reports of the Russian Federation, citing sources close to the leadership International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Match TV: “The idea of the IIHF is to allow the Russian team to participate in the World Youth Championship, which starts on December 26, 2023 in Gothenburg, Sweden. But for this, in May, at the IIHF congress, such a decision must be made. And the whole question is how it will be done.
Most IIHF members are in favor of bringing Russia back to the World Championships for business reasons. Even Canada and the United States advocate for this. Against – a cell from the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and the Baltic countries. The problem is that they make up half of the representation on the Council of the International Ice Hockey Federation. But if the decision on Russia in May 2023 is made by voting of all members at the IIHF congress, then with a high degree of probability Russia will be returned to international tournaments.
The IIHF understands how much profit they are missing out on. The same World Championship in May 2023, if it had been held in St. Petersburg in a new arena for 23,000 spectators, could have broken the attendance record. The interest in the tournament would be record-breaking also because each match of Russia against such countries as Finland, the Czech Republic or Latvia would have a tremendous impact. And this is the money that the IIHF is lacking so much right now.”
Recall that the national teams of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus were suspended from international hockey competitions in February 2022.
