BREAKING: The IIHF Announces Major Sanctions on Russia and Belarus

The IIHF has announced the two teams will not participate in the 2023-24 IIIHF season, including the World Championship.

Both Russia and Belarus were qualified, but there had been uncertainty following the ongoing Invasion of Ukraine, in which Russia and Belarus had been removed from major tournaments, including recently the IIHF World Junior Championship.

In a statement, the IIHF cited "safety risks" as the reason for the move, after a detailed risk assessment done by the organization.

Both Russia and Belarus have been banned from competition since 2022 until further notice. It was not announced about when the two teams will be eligible for IIHF tournaments again.

As Read On The Athletic - IIHF Ruling