Vladislav Tretiak, President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF), called the sport strong and with a bright future in the aggressor country. The three-time Olympic champion supported his words with the argument that dictator Vladimir Putin often takes to the ice.

Tretiak said this in a commentary to the propaganda news agency TASS. The member of the Toronto Hockey Hall of Fame added that Russia will soon return to international sports and will win because "we are a strong nation, we are Russians".

"You have a good future. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation is doing a lot to build hockey stadiums across the country, helping children's sports schools. We have a good future, we have good hockey. Our president plays hockey. The pinnacle is to return to the international family, to get to the Olympic Games. It will happen anyway, and we will play, and when we get there, we have to win, because only the strongest are respected. And we are a strong nation, we are Russians," Tretiak said.

Earlier, Russian sports official Oleg Smirnov spoke about how Putin is exposed during hockey games, calling it "great motivation".

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Russian hockey player Maxim S. was arrested in Poland and accused of participating in an organised criminal group and working for foreign intelligence. Because of this, two-time Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov called the Poles bastards.

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