00:17  ,  March 1, 2022

Russia, Belarus ice hockey teams banned from international matches

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced Monday that Russia and ally Belarus are banned from its events "until further notice" in response to the invasion of Ukraine, USA Today reported.

The ruling would affect seven tournaments. Among them: Russia and Belarus won't be able to play in the men's world championships in May in Finland, and Russia will be barred from two August tournaments, the rescheduled world junior championships in Canada and the women's world championships in Denmark.

The IIHF also said it was pulling the December-January world junior championships out of Novosibirsk, Russia. 

No decision was made on the 2023 world championships in St. Petersburg, Russia, though the IIHF Council said it "has not left out the possibility of further actions impacting future events."

Follow NEWS.am SPORT on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram