Hockey Canada has announced that it stands in solidarity with Ukraine and backs the IIHF's decision to suspend Russia and Belarus from international competition.
Along with the IIHF suspension, Hockey Canada announced that it also would not be allowing Russia or Belarus to compete in any competitions in Canada that do not fall under the IIHF's jurisdiction -- including the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
"Hockey Canada strongly condemns the unprovoked attack on Ukraine by Russia and stands in support of the nation of Ukraine," the statement reads.
The IIHF announced Monday that they would be suspending all Russian and Belarusian national teams and clubs from participation in every age category and in all IIHF competitions, which includes six competitions that run through September 2022.
These sanctions also including stripping Russia of hosting rights of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship due to the current conditions.
The moves comes as sports organizations around the world react to Russia's invasion of Ukraine last week. The IOC urged event hosts to consider not allowing Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete while FIFA and UEFA said Russia would not be allowed to compete in any international events for the foreseeable future.
