Four Year Ban from international play ends For this NHLer

Published July 22, 2023 at 1:18 PM
BY TJ TUCKER

Today is a notable day for Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov. After being banned from representing his country at the international level for four years, Kuznetsov's term has now ended.


Kuznetsov received the four-year suspension from the IIHF, and a three-game suspension from the NHL, after a video surfaced showing what was his hotel room at the 2019 World Championships in Slovakia. White powder could be seen in several places. Kuznetsov subsequently tested positive for cocaine, which is when the ban hammer came down.

"Recently, the IIHF notified me that, due to a positive test for a banned substance, I would be suspended from international competition for four years. I have made the decision to accept this penalty." - Kuznetsov, 2019



The end of Kuznetsov's international suspension comes at a strange time for his home country of Russia. It has been banned from international competitions since its decision to invade Ukraine. There is no sign that the war, or the country's suspension from the IIHF, will end anytime soon.

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July 22   |   264 answers
Four Year Ban from international play ends For this NHLer

Should Kuznetsov have gotten more than three games from the NHL for testing positive for cocaine?

Yes17064.4 %
No8431.8 %
Not sure103.8 %
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