Former KHL defenseman Nikita Shchitov has revealed his plans to follow the 2026 World Hockey Championship.
“I will be watching the World Championship. I’m curious to see Switzerland, Canada, the USA—all teams, really. Since I’m currently working as a coach with the national team to some extent, keeping an eye on global hockey development is good for my own growth. I also serve as an expert, so I need to stay informed. And it’s genuinely interesting, because hockey is my passion. It’s fascinating to see how the game evolves in different regions and what trends emerge. We try to introduce innovations ourselves—on power plays, penalty kills, breakouts, and defensive setups.
Whether or not to watch the World Championship is a personal choice. Some people say they’ll skip it out of patriotic reasons. But I try not to mix sports with politics. I don’t want to limit myself that way. As time and circumstances allow, I’ll be watching. Sports are about positivity, a break from problems, and moving toward something new,” Shchitov said, as quoted by *Sovetsky Sport*.
