Gary Bettman denies 3 countries have threatened to skip World Cup if Russia is included

The NHL is working to set up for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. Previously, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman had been asked about Russia’s participation, in light of Russia not being able to play in the Olympics.

Now, the story of Russia has to be addressed again by Bettman, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.

“Bettman and Daly deny that they have been informed by Czech, Sweden and Finland federations that they won’t participate in World Cup if Russia does, but Daly says the NHL knows how those nations feel and we’re “in sync.” Alludes again that if Russia is still at war with Ukraine, Russia won’t be in the World Cup,” Russo posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Bettman has previously said that the games will defer to IIHF rules on the eligibility of Russia for the World Cup.

“We will follow what the international community is doing in terms of athletics. I don’t see any need for us to weigh in separately,” Bettman said. “And frankly, in terms of our game and our players, wherever they’re from, if we can steer clear of geopolitical issues — not just this one but a whole host of others that are going on — I think that’s better for the game, better for our players and better for our fans.”

Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly have made it clear that they do not want to mingle with the world of politics and the realm of geopolitical relations. While the two have denied that some teams will back out of the games if Russia is involved, it is still a real possibility. Regardless, all of the top teams in the IIHF rankings were represented at the Olympics, outside of Russia.

The best case is that political situations allow Russia to compete, and some of the best players in the world to be on the international stage once again. Russia has been banned from international play since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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