There has been a lot of talk surrounding Russian players and their eligibility to play in the NHL since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. However, the NHL has stood pat and insisted that at no time would the league consider a location based ban. Despite the league's insistance it appears that Russian players will not be able to avoid a ban.
This new order will likely create some issues for teams in the future. This likely means that the Philadelphia Flyers will need to wait 3 more seasons before top prospect Matvei Michkov will be allowed to play in the NHL. This rule is also likely to create situations where teams will not select players due to this 4-5 year window.
