The Canadian Hockey League is expected to allow Russian and Belarusian players back into their import draft, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reported Thursday.
The ban was initially imposed in April 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Belarus was included in the ban due to its strong and ongoing military support of Russia.
In the 2021 draft, before the ban, 16 Russian and 11 Belarusian players were selected.
Russian and Belarusian players remain barred from competing in all IIHF events, including the world junior hockey championships, as a result of the ongoing war.
This year’s import draft is set to take place on July 3.
