Two Flyers Prospects Sign Letter to IIHF President

The letter addresses the current ban on Russia from international hockey competitions.

HC Sochi/KHL - Two Flyers Prospects Sign Letter to IIHF President

As of right now, all levels of Russian hockey teams are banned from participating in international hockey competitions in 2023 and 2024, with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) citing security concerns as the main reason for the blanket ban.

This ban has not sat right with Russia's young hockey players, seeing as it affects their ability to compete in prestigious world championships, and, in turn, have issued a letter to IIHF president Luc Tardif in hopes of having the ban lifted.

The letter was signed by 17 players, including Flyers prospects Matvei Michkov and Yegor Zavragin, and reasons that it's unfair to punish players for political issues that have nothing to do with hockey.

"We ask you: what have we, the guys born in 2003-2005, done wrong to world hockey?" part of the letter reads. "Why is another organization, the National Hockey League, happy to welcome hockey players from ALL countries into the ranks of its clubs?...Why are the clubs of the Kontinental Hockey League, despite the difficult political situation, happy to have hockey players from ALL countries on their roaster?"

As of right now, the IIHF have not issued a response to the letter.