The IIHF announced on Wednesday that Kazakh club HC Arlan Kokshetau has officially withdrawn from the Continental Cup’s final round due to what’s being called “a combination of travel and timing issues.” Eurohockey.com is reporting that it is due to visa issues. The final round of the tournament is scheduled for Jan. 16 to 19 in Cardiff, Wales, in the United Kingdom.

While citizens of Kazakhstan, which make up the majority of the Arlan team, need visas to visit the United Kingdom, it is more likely that the problem stems from the 10 Russians and one Belarusian player on the team.

HC Arlan qualified for the final round by winning their third-round tournament in Žilina, Slovakia in November. Arlan took seven of nine possible points in Group E, losing to host Žilina in overtime before beating Italian club Rittner Buam and then the Cardiff Devils, who had already qualified, in regulation time.

Both qualified teams from Group F in Aalborg, Denmark – the Bruleurs de Loups from Grenoble, France and GKS Katowice from Poland – will still be going, along with host Cardiff.

The IIHF has announced that the original playing days will be kept and the schedule will be as follows:

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