Looking at the participation of the World Championships and taking into account the lost profits of the organizers, it can be concluded that the IIHF shot itself in the foot by removing the Russian team from the World Championships. But without this decision, other teams could refuse to play with the Russians. In any case, the International Federation would not have had a full-fledged tournament to which we are accustomed. As for the interest in the World Cup, the low numbers can be explained not only by the absence of the top team, but also by the covid results. Over the course of two years, many fans have lost the habit of attending such large-scale forums.

The financial losses due to Russia’s absence are a difficult thing to calculate. However, the absence of our team definitely affected the fun. I wish Sorokin and Provorov, Kaprizov and Malkin and our other NHL players could come to Finland if it wasn’t banned from the IIHF. Considering that there were hardly five stars of the first magnitude at the World Cup, this will be a huge help not only for the Russian team itself, but for the entire tournament. Brighter personalities mean more attention to the championship as a whole.

What results of the group stage can be called sensational? The Czechs were defeated by the Austrians in the fighting – this is a truly unexpected result. The Canadians not only missed six goals from Switzerland, which even before the start of the championship seemed to be a contender for the medal, but also stumbled in the game with the Danes. So, definitely a sensation per group for a fairly long group stage. What about the Czechs and Canadians, but their misfires did not prevent them from reaching the playoffs quite calmly. Both teams finished in third place. So much intrigue.

So what could change Russia’s presence at the World Cup in Finland? The presence of our team would not have made the Latvians or the British stronger. The presence of neighbors could not protect the Kazakhstan national team against nine missed goals in one match. But the intrigue in the playoff fight will definitely add up. Russia was supposed to play in Group A and was eventually replaced by France. Frankly, these are incomparable teams. Instead of one of the favorites, for which being in the top 4 of the group is an obligatory program, the IIHF took an opponent to the Italians and Cossacks in the fight for the preservation of the residence permit.

In fact, eight participants in the qualifying games were predetermined. Such a predictable scenario could hardly change in Group B, where Austria replaced Belarus, and this is a plus or a minus for teams of the same caliber. There is a difference of five points between the USA and Latvia, which are placed in the fourth and fifth places. Which is a lot. But in group A, the Danes scored the same number of points as the Slovaks and were left out only due to additional indicators. Consider that Russia joins this company. Without the playoffs, there would be no Slovaks, no Germans, or even Canadians!

And now look at the 1/4 final pairs. Finland-Slovakia: Here the current Olympic champions have to go even further with their eyes closed. Switzerland-USA: “European Canadians” should send young Americans home. The outcome of the Germany-Czech Republic and Sweden-Canada matches is probably more difficult to predict, but imagine Russia being in this kaleidoscope. Even the first round of the playoffs would shine with new colors. But but but. It’s silly to blame the IIHF for anything, just as it’s impossible to deny the obvious: our team lost, above all, hockey.