Ovechkin in action for Team Russia against Finland at the hockey World Cup in Toronto in 2016. “Obviously, it’s hard for athletes,” Ovechkin said. The league also received assurance from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which oversees international competitions, that NHL players under contract won’t be allowed to participate. [IOC bans Russia from 2018 Olympics for doping program]“The whole situation is a little bit hard,” Ovechkin said. “For us, it’s everything.” But he echoed Ovechkin’s sentiment that Russian athletes should still participate.

Source: Washington Post December 06, 2017 17:08 UTC