A special international season is starting!

Dear friends!

The first international tournaments are finally here! The President's Sporting Club Cup begins in Belarus today, before the Future Cup is subsequently scheduled to start in Saint Petersburg tomorrow.

This new international season is particularly significant. Just a few days ago, we received wonderful news from Switzerland: the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that there were no grounds for the suspension of Russian national teams. The CAS decision mandates that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) must allow our teams to participate in tournaments held under the federation’s auspices.

This news has brought joy to our entire country. I have received countless congratulations, ranging from fans and high-ranking officials alike. The entire extended hockey family is in high spirits. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) fought long and hard to defend Russia’s interests, putting in an immense amount of work to uphold the rights of our sport before CAS. The team that handled this case has secured a victory in the best winning tradition of Russian hockey.

We now look forward to productive cooperation with the IIHF and the gradual return of our national teams to World Championships. This is precisely why the upcoming competitions are so important: they allow us to prepare for these high-stakes events in front of our own home crowd. Throughout this period, the RIHF has never ceased its efforts to develop the national team structure. Since 2022, we have worked systematically, step by step ensuring that we would be ready for a return at any moment.

We have invited our most talented players to training camps, where they have been coached and mentored by the RIHF’s top specialists. To ensure that the next generation of hockey players gains experience in international competition, we have developed and launched a comprehensive system of new tournaments such as the Future Cup. This is crucial. Being called up to the Russian national team and given the chance to represent your country on the international stage - wearing the national emblem - is both an invaluable experience and a powerful incentive for further development.

This year, KHL talents such as Alexander Zharovsky and Nazar Privalov will feature at the competition. If you're in Saint Petersburg, come to the Yubileyny Arena to enjoy some thrilling ice hockey with the participation of future stars of our sport!

Furthermore, tickets are also on sale for the upcoming Channel One Cup. This year, the international tournament in December will take place in Moscow, serving as a highlight of the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Russian hockey. We are assembling a strong squad, calling up players from the country’s top clubs. The Russian national team roster will feature young men who, we hope, will soon return to the World Championship stage. An entertaining spectacle awaits!

President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation,

Vladislav Tretiak