NHL 22: Russian teams will soon be removed, according to report

According to a new report, EA will be removing Russian teams from both NHL 22 and FIFA 22 soon in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Here's what we know so far.

EA to remove Russian teams from NHL 22 roster according to report

While details are scarce, EA moving to remove Russian teams from the NHL 22 roster could be done in several ways.

For starters, if this move does happen, we expect the Russian national team will be removed from NHL 22.

Beyond this, however, the water gets a bit muddy.

EA could extend this philosophy to other game modes including Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT 22), Franchise Mode, and Be A Pro where there are plenty of international players from Russia as well as Russian-born superstars like Alex Ovechkin who is the current captain of the Washington Capitals and the NHL 21 cover star.

How likely is this change?

While this change might be surprising to those not paying closer attention to hockey as a whole, this would be right in line with the NHL and IIHF's recent decisions around the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The NHL has recently suspended partnerships with Russia, and the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) has banned Russia and Belarus from competitions. This is a massive move considering the IIHF Russian group features over 100,000 total players.

While this would be the first of these decisions to bleed into video games, it's not unlike the stance of hockey at large, making it at least somewhat likely this reported change does indeed happen for NHL 22 and its own Russian teams. Whether this will extend to players in HUT, Franchise Mode, or storylines in Be A Pro remains to be seen.

READ MORE: NHL 22 Roster Update Shakes Up Ratings (February)

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