Latvia's Dinamo Riga withdraws from KHL amidst Ukraine invasion

Dinamo's Roberts Bukarts, Janis Svanenbergs, and Martins Dzierkals (L-R) celebrate after scoring. (Gavriil Grigorov/TASS)

Dinamo Riga has withdrawn from all structures involving the Kontinental Hockey League including the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

The Latvian hockey club joins Finland's Jokerit Helsinki who withdrew from the league on Feb. 25 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

“The decision to withdraw from KHL has been made, thus expressing a clear position of the club management," chairman Juris Savickis said in a statement. "In such a military and humanitarian crisis, we do not see any opportunity for cooperation with the Kontinental Hockey League. "

Dinamo Riga joined the KHL back in 2008 and is one of the five non-Russian KHL teams, the others being Jokerit, China’s Kunlun Red Stars, Latvia’s Dinamo Riga and Kazakhstan’s Barys Nur-Sultan.

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