Russian hockey federation president Vladislav Tretiak says Russia will seek compensation from Canada if its team is barred from next month’s world juniors championship in Alberta.
The threat follows Ottawa’s statement Wednesday that Russian players will not be permitted to compete, even if they already hold valid Canadian visas, despite last month’s Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling ordering Russia’s reinstatement to international hockey.
The move overturned a ban imposed following its invasion of Ukraine and unprovoked war in 2022.
Canada’s military and humanitarian support for Ukraine makes hosting a Russian hockey team awkward.
Russia’s state news agency TASS reported Thursday that Tretiak told a presidential sports council meeting Russia would demand compensation from Canada and Germany, host of the 2027 men’s world championship, if denied participation.
He also threatened to push for the tournaments to be moved and seek sanctions against organizers.
Tretiak, a legendary Soviet goaltender and three-time Olympic gold medallist, told TASS the federation had asked the International Ice Hockey Federation’s ethics council to investigate and punish national federations organizing boycotts of games against Russia.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin told the same sports council meeting that national federations were refusing matches against Russian teams under pressure from their governments, according to TASS, which did not identify the countries involved.
Several hockey federations, including Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Norway, have said their teams will refuse to face Russia.
The IIHF banned both Russia and Belarus from international tournaments on Feb. 28, 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Belarusian support of it.
The world juniors begin Dec. 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer.
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