The restrictions prevent those listed from entering Russia and are an effort to "encourage those on the blacklist to change their behaviour," according to the country's Foreign Ministry. 

"In view of the anti-Russian sanctions periodically imposed by the Trudeau regime against officials, politicians, experts, journalists, cultural figures and athletes from Russia, as well as anyone who does not suit the Ottawa 'mainstream' and the neo-Nazi authorities supported by it in Kiev, entry into the Russian Federation closes permanently to 333 Canadian citizens," read a Russian Foreign Ministry statement.

"Adhering to the principle of the inevitability of punishment, the Russian side, in response to the hostile actions of Ottawa, included on the 'stop list' representatives of the Canadian leadership, Parliamentarians and politicians of various levels, public activists and athletes involved in the spread of rabid Russophobia in the country."

Primarily politicians have been named but 42 athletes are included for signing a letter demanding the outright ban of Russia and Belarus from the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The letter, penned last month, urged the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) to reconsider its acceptance of International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendations.

The organisation expressed "openness" to the IOC's effort to "explore a pathway" for athletes of the two countries to compete under a neutral flag in future global sporting events.

Ice hockey player Wickenheiser was part of Canada's four-time women's tournament winners from Salt Lake City 2002 to Sochi 2014.

Her team-mate from all four, Jayna Hefford, is also sanctioned.

Virtue picked up three Olympic gold medals in her figure skating career while Bilodeau claimed the men's moguls title at both Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014.

Olympic champions in bobsleigh Kaillie Humphries, freestyle skiing Jennifer Heil, cross-country skiing Chandra Crawford, wrestling Carol Huynh, and speed skating Christine Nebitt all find themselves on the Russian list as well.

The IOC recommended that International Federations allow individual Russian and Belarusian athletes back to competition as neutrals unless they support the invasion of Ukraine or are contracted to their nation's armed forces.

"Opening the door to 'neutral' Russian and Belarusian participation - and by doing so walking back the sanctions that have been in place since the start of the war - sends a message that the COC is no longer concerned with Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine," the letter to the COC read.

Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, the Canadian Government has implemented and updated sanctions on 30 occasions.

These include asset freezes, financial prohibitions, and export and import restrictions.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation President and triple Olympic champion Vladislav Tretiak was targeted by the Canadian Government in its round of sanctions in February.

Tretiak was a goaltender on the Soviet Union's Olympic gold medal-winning ice hockey teams at Sapporo 1972, Innsbruck 1976, and Sarajevo 1984.

He also won silver at Lake Placid 1980 after losing the "Miracle on Ice" where an underdog United States side eventually took gold.

insidethegames has contacted the IOC for comment.