WASHINGTON, November 4. /TASS/. Canadians support the return of the Russian national team to the ice and find championships boring without Russia’s participation, Russian Ambassador to Ottawa Oleg Stepanov told TASS, commenting on the Canadian government’s decision not to issue visas to Russian athletes for participations in the world junior hockey championship, which will be held in the country late this year and early next year.

"The Canadians we speak with do not share this view - they are unanimous in wanting our guys back on the ice. They state quite plainly that it’s time to put an end to this political absurdity. Without the Russian ‘Red Machine’, the championships have become dull," he said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier that the country would not issue visas to Russian athletes for participation in the world junior hockey championship. "This is a decision we take on our own," he was quoted as saying by the CTV News channel.

On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) instructed the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow Russian national teams to take part in international competitions. Later, the ice hockey federations of Germany, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Norway stated they were disappointed with the court’s verdict. The Finnish Ice Hockey Association announced that it was organizing a bloc of countries that would boycott matches involving Russians.