Russia was not allowed to participate in 4 Nations Face-Off because of Sweden & Finland's crystal clear stance: Report

On Tuesday, NHL insider Frank Seravalli explained why Russia wasn’t a part of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February. Speaking on the NHL Insider Notebook show, Seravalli said Russia’s exclusion stemmed from Sweden and Finland’s firm stance. The two European teams made it clear to the NHL and NHLPA that they would refuse to participate in the event if Russia was invited.

“The reason why this tournament last February was just four nations is because Sweden and Finland had both made it very clear to the NHL and NHLPA that if Russia participates that they will not.” Seravalli said on Tuesday. (7:14 onwards)

This decision by the two teams was likely tied to the ongoing geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This incident highlights the complex geopolitical realities the NHL is dealing with today.

"Some of the most prominent NHL players and superstars are Russians," Seravalli said. "It's difficult in an NHL and NHLPA tournament (World Cup of Hockey 2028) to tell those players who through no fault of their own may be unable to participate in a league and union sanctioned tournament.”

Severalli noted that the NHL, as the organizers, had some "significant decisions to make" for next year's World Cup. The senior hockey reporter also stated that he didn't want to make any "declarations" about what he thought should happen when it comes to this situation.

The 4 Nations Face-off tournament took place in February, and Canada and the United States of America competed against Sweden and Finland in the event. Team Canada took home the trophy after beating the USA 3-2 in a final that went into overtime.

Frank Seravalli on Russia’s participation in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey

Late last week, reports emerged that the NHL planned to move forward with the preparation for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey without the involvement of the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation). Thus, the final decision on whether to invite Russia will rest on the shoulders of the league and the players' association.

“So those are going to be some choppy waters that the NHL is going to have to navigate around," Seravalli said on Tuesday's episode of the show. "But luckily for the NHL, this tournament is stronger than eight federations deep. So they can make some decisions if they decide to not invite Russia."

The insider also noted that six of the eight teams expected to make the World Cup lineup are the United States of America, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, and Switzerland.

He added that Russia, Germany, and Slovakia were "on the cusp" of making the tournament. The senior hockey reporter also said that other countries, including Latvia, Denmark, Norway and France, could be categorized as "long shots" for the eight-team event.