LATEST | Several Canucks will be prevented from representing their country for years

Back in early 2022, the IIHF banned Belarus and Russia due to the latter's invasion of Ukraine.

In recent days, the IIHF Congress met to discuss numerous topics, including future host countries for the World Championship and Women's World Championship. After TSN's Gord Miller posted the next ten hosts for the World Juniors, several noticed that Russia is slotted in to host in 2032, but the long-time broadcaster said it's unlikely that the tournament will actually be played there.

Miller went on to add that several IIHF member nations believe it will be YEARS before Belarus and Russia will be reinstated.




This means that several Canucks players and prospects won't be able to play for their respective countries for quite a while. Andrei Kuzmeko, Ilya Mikheyev and Vasili Podkolzin have all played for Russia before, while Danila Klimovich has represented Belarus on a few occasions. All four will now have to wait an undetermined amount of time before being able to play for their country again.

Further to that, the overwhelming consensus among national federations here at the @IIHFHockey congress is that it will be years before Russia and Belarus are readmitted, regardless of when or how the invasion of Ukraine ends.— Gord Miller 🌻 (@GMillerTSN) May 26, 2023