Vladislav Tretiak has left the IIHF Council

Earlier today, a meeting of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Council took place, during which the President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF), Vladislav Tretiak, announced his resignation from the Council due to the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne as of December 17, 2020.

This decision, among other things, states that persons who are members of the State Duma of the Russian Federation may not sit as members of the boards or committees (including sub-committees) of any Signatory for two years. As a consequence, Vladislav Tretiak cannot be a member of the IIHF Council and IIHF committees until December 17, 2022.

The RIHF has always respected the decisions of international sporting authorities and does not want to apply additional pressure on its long-term partners from the IIHF. For this reason, Vladislav Tretiak has resigned as a member of the IIHF Council.

At the same time, Vladislav Tretiak will continue his work with regard to the comprehensive development of Russian ice hockey and strengthening its position on the international stage.

The RIHF will nominate its candidate, Pavel Bure, for the vacant position in the governing structure of the international federation. The question of his inclusion in the composition of the IIHF Council members will be considered by the international federation in accordance with the established procedure.

Pavel Bure is a legend of Russian and international ice hockey, an honoured Master of Sport of the USSR. He spent 12 seasons in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.

As a member of the USSR national team, he won gold at the 1989 World Junior Championship and silver in 1990 and 1991. Furthermore, as a part of the senior USSR national team, he won gold at the 1990 World Championship and a bronze medal of the same competition in 1991. Following the collapse of the USSR, he played for the Russian national team at the 1998 Olympic Games where he won silver. He subsequently claimed a bronze medal at the 2002 Olympics.

At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, he served as the general manager of the Russian national team.

Pavel is a member of the IIHF Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame (2012). Notably, he was the first Russian ice hockey player in history, whose game number was retired by an NHL team. In January 2017, Bure was named as one of the 100 Greatest Players in NHL history.

Pavel Bure has an undeniable authority at international level and will significantly help in the development of Russian and international ice hockey.

Vladislav Tretiak, President of the RIHF:

- The IIHF received an order from the CAS, stating that I must leave the Council of the International Ice Hockey Federation. I submitted a letter of resignation today, consequently meaning that after many years of working in the Council, I have made the decision to voluntarily leave it. A lot of IIHF members are convinced that the verdict made by WADA and the CAS is not the correct one. However, the verdict cannot be contested. Members of the IIHF Council have even sent letters to WADA in support of me. Nevertheless, the World Anti-Doping Agency has revealed that it cannot make any exceptions, even though I am a person who has been involved in the Olympic movement for 50 years. We must comply with their decision.

Rene Fasel, President of the IIHF:

- This is a sad day for international ice hockey. Vladislav Tretiak, a man who achieved incredible success both on and off the ice, has been forced to leave the IIHF Council. He has voluntarily decided to resign, a move taken in order to prevent the IIHF Council from facing possible difficulties with regard to the verdict made by the CAS. This act testifies to the strength of character and decency of Vladislav. Despite leaving the Council, Vladislav will certainly remain an influential member of our international ice hockey family.