<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - NHL Stanley Cup: Putting the Lightning's three-peat bid in historical perspective"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">DENVER – When the Stanley Cup makes its way around the globe this summer to spend a day with each member of the championship organization, it will not travel to Russia.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">NHL officials informed both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche that Russian or Belarussian players on either roster will have to wait an undetermined amount of time before getting the chance to take the Cup to his home country.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">“With respect to this summer, the Cup isn’t going to Russia or Belarus,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said during a news conference ahead of <a target="_blank" href="/story/sports/nhl/2022/06/15/stanley-cup-finals-predictions-avalanche-lightning/7606817001/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final</a>. “To that extent, we may owe a Cup trip in the future. That can happen like we did with the pandemic, but it’s not happening this summer." </p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Russia has become increasingly cut off from the Western world since invading Ukraine in February, <a target="_blank" href="/story/news/politics/2022/06/15/ukraine-russia-invasion-live-updates/7631551001/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">and the ongoing war</a> has had an impact across sports.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">A trio of Tampa Bay players are Russian: star forward Nikita Kucherov, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, 2021's playoff MVP, and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. Colorado winger Valeri Nichushkin is also from Russia, ensuring that somebody from the country is going to win the Cup this year.</p><figure class="gnt_em gnt_em_img"><img class="gnt_em_img_i" style="height:474px" data-g-r="lazy" src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/06/16/USAT/feee6352-df2d-4821-874d-0b51081619d2-GTY_1402922975.jpg?width=660&height=474&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp" srcset="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/06/16/USAT/feee6352-df2d-4821-874d-0b51081619d2-GTY_1402922975.jpg?width=1320&height=948&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp 2x" decoding="async" alt="The Stanley Cup will not be going to Russia this summer with celebrating players."/></figure><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">On another Russia-related matter, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league had not issued a directive about clubs staying away from drafting Russian or Belarussian players in upcoming NHL drafts.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">“They’re going to be totally available for selection, just like they are every year,” he said.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong class="gnt_ar_b_al">Who will win...</strong></p></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2022/06/15/russia-stanley-cup-celebrations-banned-this-summer/7642385001/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>
