[HIGHLIGHTS] “They are afraid of competition”: FHR considered the extension of Russia’s disqualification as discrimination on the part of the IIHF

International Hockey Federation (IIHF) did not allow the national teams of Russia and Belarus to participate in international competitions in the 2024/25 season. They explained their decision by security risks.

The head of the federation, Luc Tardif, promised to put an end to the issue of teams traveling to the Olympics in February-March 2025. The FHR called the verdict of a higher authority discriminatory and did not rule out lobbying for such a step by competitors who do not want the return of a strong rival.