Gretzky supported the refusal of Canada to issue visas to Russian hockey players

Legendary hockey player, the best scorer in the history of the NHL Wayne Gretzky supported the decision of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to deny visas to Russian athletes to participate in the youth world championship. His words are quoted by TSN.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on October 30 ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow Russian teams to participate in international tournaments. The next competition - the World Youth Championships - will be held in Canada in the cities of Edmonton and Red Deer in December 2026 - January 2027. Carney said the Russians would be "definitely" denied visas for the tournament.

"Good job. He took that position and made it clear. I think a lot of players and Canadians feel the same way, Gretzky said.

The IIHF has not yet decided how the Russians will be admitted to international tournaments. The scale of the consequences of the decision taken by CAS, as well as the difficulties faced by all parties involved, was clearly underestimated, and the return of Russian teams is fraught with significant difficulties - obtaining visas, ensuring security, logistics, as well as changes in the format of the competition. In addition, the teams of Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Finland, Denmark and the Czech Republic have already announced that they will not play against Russia.