Yunost Minsk excluded from CHL

Belarusian champion Yunost Minsk was excluded from the participants of the Hockey Champions League by the decision of the tournament management.

Statement of the CHL Board: “Following the latest incidents in Belarus and the related reactions with unpredictable effects travelling to and from Minsk has become difficult. Various flight disruptions have been announced and implemented already, some of them at least until the end of October, and it is not at all foreseeable what is next to come. It is a prerequisite for our pan-European competition that teams, fans, officials, sponsors/partners and service providers can travel and stay safely. Unfortunately, this is currently not granted for travel to and from Belarus. It is currently impossible for involved parties to plan ahead, but we must have clear circumstances to enable the CHL competition to take place and to fulfill our duties towards all stakeholders. Irrespective of our decision, Belarus with its vital history in the CHL remains a respected partner and we would like to thank Yunost Minsk and the Belarusian Ice Hockey Association for their commitment and their efforts during these challenging times.”

The chairman of the Ice Hockey Federation of Belarus Dmitry Baskov commented: “Yunost was deprived of the deserved right to participate in an international tournament. All Belarusian sports are faced with similar problems, not always dictated by sports factors"

The CHL Council has not yet made a decision regarding the vacated place for participation in the competition.Various options will be reviewed and analyzed in the coming weeks.

Yunost had been drawn into group F, with Ocelari Trinec (Czech Republic), Leksand (Sweden) and Fribourg-Gotteron (Switzerland).

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