Stanley Cup winner Heiduk said he felt sorry for the suspended Russian athletes
The owner of the Stanley Cup in the Colorado Avalanche, former Czech hockey player Milan Hejduk commented on the removal of Russian athletes from international tournaments. His words are quoted by Denik.cz.
“Russian athletes have nothing to do with it. I feel sorry for them, but we don’t want to give the Kremlin room for abuse,” Heiduk said. In his opinion, the Russians are always fighting for medals, which will allow propaganda in the country to work in its favor.
Heiduk won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado in 2001. He also won Olympic gold with the Czech Republic in 1998.
On January 6, the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luc Tardif, said that the fate of the Russian team would be considered at the congress of the organization at the end of May. He also stressed that the issue of participation of all teams of Russia and Belarus in the tournaments of the 2023/2024 season will be considered.
On February 28, the IIHF suspended the national teams of Russia and Belarus from participating in competitions under its auspices. Also, Russia was deprived of the right to host the 2023 World Cup and the youth championship.
Source: Lenta
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