NHL commish says 'time will tell' if Russia plays in World Cup

"We're going to see how things develop. Time will tell. There isn't an immediate need or urgency to make that decision, so let's see how things play out. The World Cup of Hockey, a joint venture between the NHL and the NHLPA, will next take place in February 2028 with eight teams playing in three cities -- Calgary, Edmonton and Prague."

"Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been banned from international play in all age categories by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The IIHF has cited security concerns as the primary factor. Russia's participation in the World Cup of Hockey has been the source of fierce debate, with some arguing a true best-on-best tournament must feature the Russians."

"Entering Monday's games, three of the NHL's top 20 scorers were Russian-born: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov and Los Angeles Kings winger Artemi Panarin. Russia might also have the world's best goaltending trio in Tampa's Andrei Vasilevskiy, New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers."

The NHL has not yet determined whether Russia will be invited to the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, scheduled for February in Calgary, Edmonton, and Prague. Commissioner Gary Bettman stated there is no immediate urgency to make this decision. Russia has been banned from international ice hockey competition by the IIHF since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, citing security concerns. However, debate continues about whether a true best-on-best tournament should include Russian players, as several top NHL scorers and elite goaltenders are Russian-born. The 2024 World Cup was cancelled partly due to concerns about integrating Russian players and objections from countries like Finland. The NHL will likely follow international community standards in determining Russia's status.

Read at ESPN.com