OREANDA-NEWS President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Luke Tardif made a statement about the participation of the Russian national team in the 2026 Olympic Games.

"The decision from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the IIHF will be made and published in February 2025," Tardif said.

Earlier, the deputy commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL), Bill Daley, said that he expects the Russians to be absent from the 2026 Games. Tardif noted that according to the results of the Olympic selection, in case of non-admission of the Russian team, it will be replaced by the French national team.

In February, the IIHF extended the suspension of the Russian and Belarusian national teams for the 2024/2025 season. The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.