Russia will have no men’s hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics as the IOC ban over the Ukraine war sidelines even its NHL stars, allowing only a few athletes to compete as neutral participants.
IOC Confirms Russia’s Absence From 2026 Winter Olympics (Source: X/@ChKlaue)
The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature 146 NHL players competing for gold in Milan Cortina, but none of them will represent Russia as it remains banned from competing at the Olympic Games. This marks a major absence, as Russia has traditionally been one of the most dominant countries in men’s ice hockey and a long-standing global powerhouse in the sport.
Russia remains banned from competing at the Olympic Games following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Belarus is also prohibited from participation because of its support for Russia in the conflict. However, a limited number of athletes from both countries are allowed to compete under a neutral status known as Individual Neutral Athletes, officially referred to as AIN (from the French athlètes individuels neutres). This designation removes national affiliation from athletes. By late January 2026, around 20 AIN athletes were expected to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Russia’s absence stems from a formal ban imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which prevents the country from sending teams to Olympic competitions due to sanctions linked to the invasion of Ukraine. On May 26, the IOC officially announced that Russia would not take part in the 2026 Winter Games. This will be the second Olympic event Russia has missed since the war began, following its exclusion from the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Only 13 Russian athletes will participate in the Milan Cortina Games, and all of them will compete as Individual Neutral Athletes rather than under the Russian flag. No Russian teams will be allowed to participate in any Olympic sport.
The Russian Olympic Committee was suspended indefinitely in October 2023 after it claimed jurisdiction over sports organizations in four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. This action violated Olympic principles and, combined with the ongoing conflict, resulted in severe restrictions. As a result, Russian athletes are completely barred from competing in team sports, even under neutral Olympic status.
This ruling is far stricter than past Olympic decisions. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Russian athletes competed as “Olympic Athletes from Russia,” while at the 2022 Beijing Games they took part under the name “Russian Olympic Committee.” Both arrangements allowed Russian teams, including men’s ice hockey, to compete.
Earlier Olympic sanctions against Russia were largely related to doping violations. The current measures go much further. Along with banning Russia’s name, flag, and anthem, the IOC has now excluded all Russian athletes from team events such as ice hockey, even if they are competing as neutral athletes.
This decision removes any possibility of Russia fielding a men’s hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics, despite having one of the strongest NHL talent pools capable of competing for gold.
That potential roster would have included star forwards Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild, Artemi Panarin of the Los Angeles Kings, Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. Defensemen such as Mikhail Sergachev of the Utah Mammoth, Dmitry Orlov of the San Jose Sharks, and Ivan Provorov of the Columbus Blue Jackets could have featured, along with elite goaltenders Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers, Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders, and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Russia won gold in men’s hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics and silver in 2022. However, the IOC’s 2026 ruling removes all remaining workarounds, ensuring that Russian players competing in the NHL or other leagues will be completely absent from the Olympic hockey tournament in Milan Cortina.
