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Russia officially disqualified from 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan
Photo credit: Sportsnet
Alex Ovechkin will not be competing in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy. Russia was disqualified from the games because on their involvement in the war in Ukraine.
IIHF President Luc Tardif announced this decision, which ultimately came from the International Olympic Committee.
"The IOC is the organizer - we only deal with the competition (the hockey tournament) itself," Tardif said, as per thehockeynews.se. "We have been pressuring them to make a decision, one way or the another, because we're getting closer to the Olympics and we need to know."
Ovechkin turns 40 when the games begin in Italy, and most likely will not have another opportunity to represent Russia on the international stage, a clear disappointment for the star, given his love of playing internationally.
Ovechkin's legend continues to grow. He scored 44 goals in 65 games this past NHL season, despite having missed 16 games because of a broken leg.
The Capitals' Captain broke the NHL goals record in a game against the New York Islanders on April 6, scoring 2 goals. He set the new record for all-time NHL goals at 897.
Alex Ovechkin has one year of term remaining on his current contract, which will expire following the 2025-26 NHL season. Ovi has made it clear that he intends to end his career playing for his hometown team, Dynamo Moscow, raising speculation about where he will play next season.
"Recently, they asked us to send them a schedule without Russia," Tardif added, "so that's where we are. The official statement is pending, but the IOC has told us that they are informing the Russian Olympic Committee that they are not participating in the Olympics."
| POLL | ||
MAI 27 | 47 ANSWERS Russia officially disqualified from 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan Do you think Alex Ovechkin play for Russia internationally again? | ||
| Yes | 27 | 57.4 % |
| No | 20 | 42.6 % |
| List of polls | ||