The International Ice Hockey Federation said Saturday it will keep Belarus out of its world championships but is now working to comply with a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that requires it to allow Russia back into international competition, setting up a potential clash with Canadian officials over next month’s World Junior Championships in Alberta.
“While the IIHF continues to disagree with the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) concerning Russian participation in IIHF Championships, we are taking the necessary steps required by the CAS ruling and reviewing what conditions would need to be met to safeguard our Championships, protect the organization’s financial stability and secure the long-term future of international ice hockey,” the federation said in a statement.
The IIHF added that it must “work within the applicable framework while upholding its responsibility to preserve international competition and protect the sport as a whole,” and said it is opening discussions with affected member national associations, including the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, to find “a constructive way forward.”
The CAS ruled last week that Russian teams may compete in upcoming men’s and women’s world championships, overturning the IIHF’s earlier decisions to exclude them. The World Juniors, scheduled to be held in Alberta next month, will be the first IIHF tournament affected by the ruling.
Ottawa Pushes Back
Hockey Canada and Prime Minister Mark Carney said last week that Russian players would not be permitted to compete in next month’s tournament on Canadian soil, directly at odds with the direction the IIHF is now being forced to take.
Russia has been shut out of major international hockey since its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The country did not take part in Olympic hockey earlier this year — the first Olympics to feature NHL players since 2014 — and was also excluded from the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, just four days after that year’s Winter Olympics concluded.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a statement carried by the state-run outlet TASS, accused international sporting bodies of politically motivated discrimination against Russian athletes.
“Unfortunately, they have not honored the commitments they once made, and they continue to enforce restrictions against Russian sports that are not based on law, but are instead highly politicized. This constitutes a clear and gross violation of the law and of judicial rulings — and, by extension, a violation of the very institutions of democracy. That is precisely how this should be interpreted.”
European Nations Threaten Boycott
Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia and Denmark have all said they will refuse to play Russia as long as the war in Ukraine continues. Germany, which is set to host the 2027 men’s world championships, has also signaled it may withdraw if Russia is allowed to compete.
STRAUSS, a workwear company and a top sponsor of next year’s world championships, has threatened to pull out after Finland said Monday it was rallying other nations to boycott games against Russia.
If Russia is cleared to play next month, it would mark the country’s first appearance at the World Juniors since 2021. Russia has not won gold at the tournament since 2011.
