The head of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luc Tardif, was optimistic about the likelihood of participation of hockey players from the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 2026 Olympics, which will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. His words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
“As far as the NHL’s participation in the next Games, it’s the IIHF’s job to bring all the best to the Olympics. This is our responsibility, and we will do everything for this. We have a positive basis now, we are optimistic about the 2026 Games,” Tardif said.
The head of the IIHF noted that there was an agreement with Beijing regarding the 2021 Olympics, but the coronavirus pandemic made its own adjustments. He added that it is necessary to reach an agreement so that the athletes can begin systematic preparations for the tournament.
Earlier it was reported that the Russian Hockey Federation (FRH) sent instructions to Russian NHL players, according to which they could achieve admission to the Beijing Olympics. The Russian side is ready to take on the financial damage associated with a pause in the performances of players in the NHL.
The decision of the NHL not to let hockey players into Beijing became known in December 2021. The league motivated the ban to avoid the spread of COVID-19 among NHL players.
Source: Lenta
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