NHL doesn't anticipate visa issues for Russian players

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league isn't anticipating that Russian players will have problems obtaining work visas for the 2022-23 season.

"We're expecting them all to be good - and in North America," Daly said, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "That whole situation is difficult, but kind of out of our hands. So just like with the pandemic, and with many issues, we looked to the governing agencies to make those decisions. And we played by the rules."

Russian players reapplying for visas have encountered obstacles since the country's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. The Athletic's Michael Russo and Dan Robson reported in July that several European players played without work visas this past season after the NHL negotiated an exemption with the U.S. government due to the pandemic.

Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov was reportedly denied entry to the United States twice this summer before successfully returning earlier in August.

Fifty-seven Russian players suited up in the NHL in 2021-22. The league condemned the country's invasion of Ukraine in February and suspended all business relations with the nation.

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