MOSCOW, Oct 26 Two-time Olympic ice hockey champion Vyacheslav Fetisov believes that holding the World Cup without the Russian team does not make sense. Earlier, the media reported that the tournament scheduled for 2024 could be postponed. This is due to the unwillingness of some teams to play with the Russians. «Gary Bettman will decide everything. The NHL fully adheres to the sports principle. The Canada Cup was held at one time so that the strongest hockey players on the planet competed. Bettman adheres to this philosophy. The best hockey players are not discriminated against, play, conclude «new long-term contracts. I don't know who can somehow move this story. Stupidity. We have to wait for an official decision. Holding the World Cup without the strongest NHL hockey players, and there are a lot of our guys, is pointless,» Fetisov told Sport-Express. .International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in February suspended the national teams of Russia and Belarus from international tournaments. The World Cup is held under the auspices of the organization with the participation of the NHL. The last time the competition took place was in 2016. The Russian team then flew out in the semifinals, and the Canadians became the winner.
