IIHF bans Russia, Belarus indefinitely from international play

The IIHF announced Monday it is banning Russia and Belarus from international hockey until further notice amid the invasion of Ukraine.

The federation will move the 2023 world juniors to a different location after the Russian cities of Novosibirsk and Omsk were originally set to host the event from Dec. 26, 2022, to Jan. 5, 2023. The IIHF will initiate discussions in the coming months to find a new host.

Russia is also slated to host the 2023 World Hockey Championship in May, but the IIHF has yet to make a decision on that tournament, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

The ban will keep Russia and Belarus out of multiple major international events, including the 2022 Worlds in May, the women's U18 tournament in June, and the rescheduled 2022 world juniors in August.

Belarus is included in the ban because it has assisted Russia's invasion by allowing its territory to be used to station troops and launch military attacks.

"The IIHF is not a political entity and cannot influence the decisions being taken over the war in Ukraine," IIHF president Luc Tardif said in a statement. "We nevertheless have a duty of care to all of our members and participants and must therefore do all we can to ensure that we are able to operate our events in a safe environment for all teams taking part in the IIHF World Championship program."

"We were incredibly shocked to see the images that have come out of Ukraine," added Tardif. "I have been in close contact with members of the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine, and we hope for all Ukrainians that this conflict can be resolved in a peaceful way and without the need for further violence."

Hockey Canada backed the IIHF's decision Monday evening and said Russia and Belarus will be banned from events held in Canada that don't fall under the IIHF's jurisdiction.

The NHL released a statement Monday, announcing it is suspending all relationships with Russian business partners.

The IOC called for Russia to be banned from all sporting events earlier Monday.

FIFA and UEFA also suspended Russia from all international soccer events, including the 2022 World Cup in November.