The Canadian governments' politically motivated decision to deny visas to Russian athletes directly harms not only the World Championship being held in Canada, but also hockey around the world, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. "With its politically motivated decision, the Canadian government directly harms not only the World Championship being held in its country, but also hockey around the world," Zakharova noted. "Let's remember who Mark Carney is trying to keep out of the tournament: a team that has won more World Junior Championships medals than any other in history - 13 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze medals. Whether such actions will benefit the entertainment value of the championship and appeal to viewers is not a rhetorical question," she added.

The Canadian governments' politically motivated decision to deny visas to Russian athletes directly harms not only the World Championship being held in Canada, but also hockey around the world, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. "With its politically motivated decision, the Canadian government directly harms not only the World Championship being held in its country, but also hockey around the world," Zakharova noted. "Let's remember who Mark Carney is trying to keep out of the tournament: a team that has won more World Junior Championships medals than any other in history - 13 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze medals. Whether such actions will benefit the entertainment value of the championship and appeal to viewers is not a rhetorical question," she added.