Ex-NHL scout admitted the participation of the league in the CAS decision on the admission of Russians

The National Hockey League (NHL) could influence the decision to allow Russian teams to international competitions in the 2026/27 season. This opinion was expressed by the former scout of the NHL clubs Ottawa and Nashville Alexei Dementiev.

Earlier, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) canceled all five resolutions of the board of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and ordered the participation of Russian teams in the relevant IIHF tournaments in the 2026/27 season. The International Ice Hockey Federation said it disagreed with the CAS decision, but acknowledged the authority of the court and promised to act in accordance with its ruling.

“Sooner or later it had to happen. I wouldn't be surprised if the NHL had some involvement and was consulted before making a decision. It could be. But the NHL is extremely interested in the participation of the Russian national team and Russian players in their competitions like the World Cup. Remember how many conversations there were that they wanted to include the Russian team, but, unfortunately, for political reasons, the reaction of other countries was negative.

The Hockey World Cup, organized by the NHL and the League Players Association (NHLPA), will be held in February 2028. The matches will be hosted by Calgary and Edmonton (Canada), as well as Prague (Czech Republic). The League can invite teams without the participation of the IIHF and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Although the NHL considered the possibility of participation of the Russian national team for commercial reasons, it took into account possible objections from the Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland. A final decision on this issue was not taken at that time.

Speaking about the competitiveness of Russian teams, the ex-NHL scout stressed that its real assessment can be given only after the teams play in the tournament: “It’s almost impossible to assess it before.”.

The Russian national team was banned from international tournaments due to the military operation in Ukraine in 2022. After the CAS decision, the first international competition for Russians may be the World Youth Championships in Canada (Edmonton and Red Deer), which will be held from December 2026 to January 2027.