ST. PETERSBURG, September 26./TASS/. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHR) should be apolitical, Luc Tardif, elected as its new president on Saturday, told TASS.

His predecessor, Rene Fasel, also adhered to the position that politics should not interfere with the activity of the IIHR.

"We should be apolitical," Luc Tardif said. "If it is not the case, there is no way to organize international competitions - IOC or ice hockey" or others, he stressed. "We have to be away of these pressure. The game is the game," the players should not be involved in political pressure, he stressed.