Slovakia team will be missing their KHL players for this year's IIHF World Championships after they decided not to select them ©Getty Images

The Slovak Ice Hockey Federation have decided not to call up players who participate for clubs in the Russian-organised Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) to represent them at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship in Finland and Latvia next month.

Peter Frühauf, assistant coach of the national team, claimed that the decision was made to ensure preparations are not disrupted by issues linked to the war in Ukraine caused by Russia's invasion in February 2022 shortly after the Winter Olympics in Beijing, where Slovakia won the bronze medal. 

"In recent weeks, we have had lengthy conversations with players from the KHL who have always represented our country with joy and pride," Frühauf told Russia's official state new agency TASS. 

"They play in order to be able to play in the finals of the World Cup. 

"In the course of our conversations, we came to the unanimous opinion that for the sake of a smooth course of preparation and 100 percent concentration of our team in the tournament, it would be better if we give up players from the KHL for the upcoming World Cup."

Slovakia lost in last year's World Championship to eventual champions Finland ©Getty Images
Slovakia lost in last year's World Championship to eventual champions Finland ©Getty Images

Slovakia reached the quarter-final at the 2022 IIHF World Championship , where they were defeated by hosts Finland 4-2.

Members of the national team who played for last year's team that are a part of the KHL playing for Russian clubs include goalkeepers Patrick Ribar and Adam Huska, who play for Moscow Spartak and Nizhny Novgorod's Torpedo.

Defenders Kristian Jarosh and Michal Chaikovsky play for Moscow CSKA and Novosibirsk, respectively.

Forwards Samuel Buchek and Michael Kryshtof represent of Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, and Michal Kryshtof, of Admiral Vladivostok in the KHL, the biggest ice hockey club competition outside of the National Hockey League, consisting of 19 Russian clubs. 

In addition, goalkeeper Julius Gudachek plays for Kazakhstan's Barys and Tomas Jurcho represents Chinese side Kunlun Red Star.

Russia and Belarus will be banned from competing in IIHF tournaments until the end of the 2023-2024 season ©Getty Images
Russia and Belarus will be banned from competing in IIHF tournaments until the end of the 2023-2024 season ©Getty Images

The absence of so many players looks set to hit Slovakia's chances of lifting the IIHF World Championship for the first time since 2002 at this year's tournament in Tampere in Finland and Riga in Latvia, which is due to start on May 12 and conclude on May 28.

Slovakia are in Group B alongside Canada, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Latvia Norway, Kazakhstan and Slovenia. 

Last week, the IIHF announced that they will be extending the ban on Russian and Belarusian national team due to Moscow's attack on Ukraine.

The suspension has now been extended to the end of the 2023-2024 season, which means that both nations will be missing three World Championships in a row.