Pavel Dorofeyev and Ivan Barbashev have had solid seasons for the Vegas Golden Knights. Dorofeyev leads the team in goals this season with 22. Meanwhile, Barbashev has 15 goals and 18 assists, making him Jack Eichel's right-hand (or left-hand) man on the top line. But the duo received some bad news with their fellow Russians on Tuesday. Hit it, Wade Barrett.
Russia and Belarus will remain banned from all international ice hockey competitions for the 2025-26 season, the IIHF announced pic.twitter.com/oo2jDQDzSy
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 4, 2025
Both Russia and Belarus remain banned from international competition for the 2025-26 season, according to the IIHF. It comes after the news of NHL players being greenlit to return to the Olympics for the 2026 and 2030 iterations. Unfortunately, that means Golden Knights fans won't see Pavel Dorofeyev or Ivan Barbashev make their international debuts anytime soon.
It's unfortunate for many reasons since it involves politics. Now, this topic can lead to many brawls and angry people, leaving others to be called foul names. No, I'm not talking about the "cooty lint licker" variety, either. It's much more vulgar and poignant, leading to disowned families and unfriending people on Facebook.
But it also robs the two Golden Knights stars of a chance to prove themselves against the broader competition. Wouldn't you love to see the two superstars compete in a tournament that actually matters? Sure, the 4 Nations Face-Off might appear to have that facade. But do you think the NHL's taking that tournament seriously by not making players sit a game out for abstaining from playing?
Besides, Russia isn't participating in this tournament, either. Sure, a team consisting of Barbashev, Artemi Panarin, and Andrei Svechnikov would've been fun to watch. However, the political world can be messy at times, leaving victims in its wake (that's why I refrain from talking about the topic on here unless it's the Golden Knights party).
Still, this shouldn't take away from what Pavel Dorofeyev and Ivan Barbashev have accomplished
As I'm watching the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers battle it out for the "Battle of Hollywood," I'm looking at Luka Doncic sitting on the bench. No, he isn't playing (but he's probably thinking about those Animal-Style fries and a Double-Double from In-N-Out Burger). But his situation is similar to what Pavel Dorofeyev and Ivan Barbashev are dealing with alongside their fellow countrymen.
After all, Doncic bought a $15 million home in Dallas and closed the deal as the news broke. He planned on staying his entire career with the Mavericks before being traded to Los Angeles. Now he knows what it feels like to play under John Fisher and the Athletics. But! As fellow goaltender from Russia, Ilya Bryzgalov, once said...
They're good guys who play under Bill Foley and not Fisher. The biggest prize in sports isn't an Olympic gold medal; it's the Stanley Cup. There was once a time when winning a medal mattered for your nation, especially when it came to basketball. However, the games don't mean as much to NHL fans that want to see their team hoist Lord Stanley.
Even with the IIHF allowing NHL players to compete sans Russia and Belarus, it won't matter to the Vegas Golden Knights. Like with Doncic and the Lakers, winning the league championship is a must. Luckily, the Golden Knights have that same mission, hoping to make the heads of 31 other fanbases explode come June.