Weegar Loves Watching Russia Play Hockey, but Says Europe May See It Differently
Several European federations have refused to face Russia after a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling forced its return to international play.
- The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled last week that the International Ice Hockey Federation must reinstate Russian teams, effective immediately for the World Junior Championship beginning December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.
- Russia and its ally Belarus had been barred from competition since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Several European hockey federations, including Sweden, Finland, Czechia, and Latvia, have now said their national teams will not play Russia in international competition.
- Although the International Ice Hockey Federation criticized the ruling, it intends to comply. Most objecting federations plan to participate in tournaments but will refuse to take the ice against Russian opponents.
- NHL players offered mixed reactions to the decision. Utah Mammoth defenceman MacKenzie Weegar said he has "always loved seeing Russia in the Olympics and in those best-on-bests," while Montreal Canadiens forward Oliver Kapanen declined to comment.
- Some decisions are expected to be made at an International Ice Hockey Federation meeting scheduled for November 23. The World Junior Championship remains set for late December in Edmonton and Red Deer.
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18 Articles
The Toronto Star
Weegar loves watching Russia play hockey, but says Europe may see it differently
MacKenzie Weegar says he enjoys watching Russia play in the top hockey tournaments. But the Canadian defenceman says Russia's return to international competition might be viewed differently by European players.
Sweden, Finland, and three other countries say they’ll boycott hockey games against Russia after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reinstates the Russian team
Several Northern European hockey federations have said their national teams will refuse to play Russia in international tournaments.
"For the sake of preserving the integrity of the sport, under the current circumstances we cannot imagine playing against Russia. If we did, there would be complete chaos," Henrik Bach Nielsen, president of the Danish Confederation, told the Danish media.
Weegar Likes Watching Russia Hockey, but Europe May Differ
International hockey faces a major dispute over Russia’s return after a sports court ruled the IIHF must reinstate Russian teams, starting with the world juniors. Utah defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said he enjoys watching Russia compete but recognizes European players and countries may view its return differently because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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