"It's getting ridiculous" "Stop making hockey political": NHL fans react as IIHF decides to not reinstate Russia back into hockey competitions

The International Ice Hockey Federation has decided not to allow Russia and Belarus back into international competitions for the 2025-26 season. They believe there are security concerns since the country is currently fighting a war.

The IOC, not the IIHF, has the final say over whether the two countries will make it into the Olympics in Milan in 2026, but based on this ruling, that doesn't seem very likely.

This prompted NHL fans to have their say in the comments. Some fans were left upset with the decision, while others understood the issues plaguing the IIHF in making this choice.

"Of course Russians can't be allowed in international sport events. As long as Russia is waging war on other countries, this topic shouldn´t even be discussed," one said.

"People, Russia is literally in the war? Would you agree if Germany participated in tournaments during WWII for example? People lives are more important," another added.

"Are people in the comments still saying that politics and sports are not connected? Like have you ever read a book, seen a movie, documentary or I don't know learned about a sport history?" another asked.

"Enough punishing players that have nothing to do with the political situation," one noted.

Fans are split on whether or not this is a fair or accurate punishment for hockey players and the country's national team.

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Russia Hockey is unlikely to make it into 2026 Olympics

With the latest ban keeping the country out of international events for the 2025-2026 season, the chances for the hockey team to play in the Olympics in 2026 are slim.

The country's national hockey team in 2018 (Imagn)

The IOC can rule on this, but they've already set a precedent that they'd have to adjust for the hockey team. Individual athletes, like those who compete in snowboarding or figure skating, can compete as neutral athletes.

That doesn't apply to teams, though, and since it's a team sport, there can't be a neutral team that is essentially just the country's National Team. This ruling can change between now and the Olympics, but the chances for players like Sergei Bobrovsky or Kirill Kaprizov playing are slim.