Russia Cleared to Return to IIHF Events After CAS Ruling

Russia is going back to international hockey.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the IIHF has to allow the Russian Ice Hockey Federation to enter teams in its tournaments, effective immediately. That includes the 2027 World Junior Championship in Edmonton, which is 57 days away, as Frank Seravalli pointed out:

Russia has been shut out of IIHF events since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The IIHF upheld that ban for the 2027 Worlds and World Juniors in late July, and Russia’s federation took it to CAS.

The panel sided with Russia. It found the IIHF’s evidence was “insufficient to establish the legal requirements for non-participation” and said only substantiated security concerns could outweigh an athlete’s right to compete.

The IIHF isn’t happy about it. The federation posted its full statement and said it “disagrees with this aspect of the ruling,” but it will follow the decision. Check out the release:

The bigger problem is logistics. These events already have their fields set, so adding Russia means someone loses a spot. Norway would be the odd team out at the World Juniors if the lowest-ranked side gets bumped, and Ukraine could drop from the top division of the Men’s Worlds. The IIHF says it will “urgently assess” the steps and time required.

Finland, Germany, Czechia and Austria have all put out statements disagreeing with the ruling.

The NHL has a stake in this too. Darren Dreger said he asked the league and the NHLPA about the eighth team for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, Russia or otherwise, and was told “sooner the better” with no official timeline. Here’s what Dreger posted:

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said this summer that the IIHF ban had no impact on the World Cup. With CAS clearing the way, Russia is now a real candidate for that last spot.