- The Court of Arbitration for Sport says the IIHF did not present enough evidence to keep Russia out
- CAS also said the fallout from its ruling was never argued or requested by the IIHF during the case
- Read below for the boycotts, the sponsor pressure and where the World Juniors stand
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is defending its Russia ruling, and it’s putting the blame on the IIHF’s case.
CAS released a public statement Thursday saying the IIHF “did not present sufficient evidence to establish the legal requirements for the non-participation of Russian teams.” The panel also acknowledged the “divisive reaction” to its Oct. 30 decision, which opened the door for Russia to return to IIHF events.
The statement went further on the mess that decision created. CAS said the organizational consequences of the ruling, along with a possible neutrality regime, “were neither substantiated by sufficient evidence nor sought by the IIHF during the proceedings.”
In plain terms, CAS says it can only rule on what the two sides put in front of it. “CAS cannot impose measures that have not been requested by the Parties,” the statement read.
Here’s the IIHF’s statement from the day of the ruling, when it said it disagreed with the decision but would follow it:
The ruling has been a disaster for the federation ever since. Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Latvia and Czechia have all said they won’t play Russia. We broke down the growing boycott at the 2027 Worlds earlier this week, and IIHF sponsors have threatened to pull out if Russia plays.
Canada has taken its own stand. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Russia won’t play at the World Juniors in Alberta, which start Dec. 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer.
That leaves a big open question. Nobody has said whether Canada would block visas for players based in Russia, or whether Russians already playing in the CHL could suit up under some kind of neutral banner.
Frank Seravalli laid out what the original ruling meant, including Russia returning starting with the 2027 World Juniors:
Russia has been shut out of IIHF competition since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and the IIHF extended that ban in July before the Russian federation took it to CAS. The original ruling landed 57 days before the World Juniors, and the IIHF still hasn’t laid out how it plans to fit Russia into fields that are already set.
