- IIHF Disciplinary Board annulled the Council’s January ban on Russia for 2026-27
- Russia’s eligibility goes back to the IIHF Council and gets decided event-by-event
- Read below for what the ruling actually changes and where Belarus stands
The IIHF cracked the door open for Russia.
Friday’s announcement out of Zurich, during the federation’s annual congress, walked back the IIHF Council’s January decision to bar Russian teams from the 2026-27 season. Eligibility now gets handled event-by-event.
Here’s the official update from the IIHF:
That doesn’t mean Russia is reintegrated. The IIHF said that part directly.
It heads back to the Council, which has to re-analyze each tournament based on safety, security, operational, and sporting plans.
Chris Johnston laid it out:
Russia’s federation appealed the original January ruling. On May 25, the Disciplinary Board sided with that appeal and ruled the previous decision could not stand in its current form. The Russians argued the Council’s safety risk reports were too thin to justify another full lockout.
Belarus got partial reinstatement one day earlier — three 2026-27 events: the U18 Men’s World Championship, Women’s Division IV, and U18 Women’s Division IIIB. The IIHF posted that one Thursday:
Both federations have been locked out of major international hockey since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The IIHF cited security concerns to keep them out, and the bans got renewed every year since.
None of this changes things for Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, or any NHL Russian. Their pro careers were never tied to IIHF events.
The ruling matters more for the U18 squad, the senior men’s program, the women’s side, and prospects like Avalanche pick Mikhail Gulyayev who play in the KHL between development years.
There’s no timeline on when the Council will start ruling on individual tournaments. Don’t expect a Russian flag on IIHF ice in the next few months.
