Russia will not withdraw its hockey teams from international tournaments, Mikhail Dagetyarev said. He called the expectations of such decisions from Moscow "the apotheosis of hysteria".
Earlier, the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) hoped for a voluntary refusal of Russia to participate in the World Championship. "Of course, it would be desirable if they didn't come," said Swedish Hockey Federation head and IIHF board member Anders Larsson.
On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered the IIHF to allow Russian teams to participate in international competitions. The IIHF Council stated that the federation does not agree with the CAS ruling.
The national teams of Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia and Denmark refused to play in the matches against the Russian national team.