Russia-Ukraine war derails World Cup of Hockey plans for ’24
Russia’s war in Ukraine has derailed plans to hold a World Cup of Hockey this winter.
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association on Friday abandoned plans to stage a World Cup in February 2024 as they had hoped, saying in a joint statement “it is not feasible” in the current environment.
There is uncertainty about what to do with players from Russia since the country’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year and the ongoing war there. Some countries did not want Russians to participate, even if under a different name and without national team uniforms as was done at recent Olympics as a punishment for state-sponsored doping.
“Disappointment or not, you want peace in the world,” Swedish defenceman Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning said. “That’s the bottom line.”