Ilya Kovalchuk, gold medallist from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, and player for the Continental Ice Hockey League, has decided to pull out from the IIHF World Championship, according to the Russian Ice Hockey Federation press service.
The RIHF has since released a statement regarding Kovalchuk’s choice for not attending, saying, “Forward Ilya Kovalchuk will be unable to participate in the World Championship in Denmark. This was a mutual decision of the ice hockey player and the coaching staff of the national team in regard to a very intense participation of the player in the KHL tournament and the 2018 Olympic Games.:
This announcement coincides with RIHF President’s Tretiak statement not long ago, revealing that Head Coach Oleg Znarok has decided to step down temporarily after leading his team to the gold medal.
After his step down, Ilya Vorobyov was appointed as acting Head Coach for the team, and is set to take them to the IIHF World Championship this year. Znarok will remain with the team for the duration of the championship, but only as a consultant.
Znarok, 55, took reign as Head Coach not long after the 2014 Winter Olympics with the goal of earning gold for the next set of Olympics for years later in 2018. Znarok has also led the Red Machine in four IIHF World Championships, winning a combination of gold, silver, and bronze over the last five years. Their most notable win was in 2014 when they took a gold medal home.
| # | Site | Bonus | Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ladbrokes |  | 5/5 | 100% Match up to $250 NZD | Bet now Review |
| 2 |  | BetEasy | | 4.9/5 | 100% Match Bonus | Bet now Review |
| 3 |  | SportsBet | | 4.8/5 | $501 NZD Bonus Bet | Bet now Review |
More About Trent Wilson
Trent Wilson is OnlineBetting.nz’s resident sports news expert. He draws on his extensive sporting knowledge, his qualification in sports management and his passion for betting to provide the latest, most up to date information on sporting events in New Zealand and across the globe. Trent is a veritable treasure trove of sports information and has been betting online for several years. He prides himself in keeping his readers informed, and in always offering an unbiased standpoint that reflects exactly what’s going on in the sports world.
View Posts - Visit WebsiteYou May Also Like:
Pakistan and Malaysia End Game in Draw
Four-time champions Pakistan played a hard game against Malaysia that ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw for their Pool D match as both teams remained in the hunt for a knock-out round for the Men’s Hockey World Cup. After being unable to break the deadlock for a time, Pakistan managed ….
New Zealand Beats France in Men’s Hockey World Cup
Stephen Jenness and Kane Russell helped their team beat France 2-1 in the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018. The Blacks Sticks managed to outscore France in their opening game played at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The first quarter saw neither goals scoring at all. The second quarter saw ….
Dutch Make Strong Start At World Cup
Team Netherlands, the defending champions from last season’s Hockey World Cup managed to score three goals within the first 9 minutes of the opening pool of this year’s tournament. The Netherlands finished off with a 7-0 against South Korea, giving them a solid head start as the bulk of the ….
Capitals’ Devante Smith-Pelly On Potential White House Visit
The Capitals are just one win away from the Stanley Cup trophy, and while the team has said that they are not ready to think about celebrations, one player in particular has told reporters about what his thoughts are on a championship tradition. Forward for the Capitals, Devante Smith-Pelly stated ….
Connor McDavid To Captain Canada For IIHF World Champs
The official, national Canadian team that are to playing in the IIHF World Championships recently announced that Connor McDavid will be taking the reigns as the captain of the team. This comes with the news that the team intends to take gold again, which could be their third gold in ….