- Hockey Canada and Canada’s sport minister pushed back on the CAS ruling that sends Russia back to IIHF events
- Finland, Sweden and Germany also objected, and Canada may still have a say at the 2027 World Juniors in Edmonton
- Read below for the full statements and what could happen next
Hockey Canada isn’t ready to roll out the welcome mat for Russia.
The federation said Friday it shares the IIHF’s disappointment with the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that clears Russia to return to IIHF tournaments, and it confirmed it has already briefed the Government of Canada. Our earlier story on the CAS ruling has the full breakdown of the decision itself.
Here’s the statement Hockey Canada posted:
Hockey Canada has a direct stake. It hosts the next tournament the ruling touches, the 2027 World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, which starts in less than two months. The 2026 Women’s World Championship begins next week, which is too short a window for Russia to join.
Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden also weighed in, and his statement is where it gets interesting.
“Canada maintains, as it has since 2022, that Russia should not be represented in international sport competitions while Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable full-scale invasion against Ukraine continues,” van Koeverden said. He added that Canada will keep restrictions on Russian athletes at events hosted in Canada that receive federal funding and will look at further options.
That leaves the door open for the government to keep Russian teams from entering the country for the World Juniors. Nothing has been decided.
Other federations are lining up behind Canada. Finnish Ice Hockey Federation chair Heikki Hietanen said there are “no grounds” for Russia or Belarus to take part under current circumstances. Swedish Ice Hockey president Anders Larsson said Russia can’t participate in international championships right now. German federation board chair Frank H. Lutz warned that letting Russia in would carry “significant security, political, and economic consequences” for hosts.
The IIHF put out its own full statement saying it disagrees with part of the ruling but will follow it:
The ruling only covers IIHF-sanctioned events, so tournaments like the U17 World Challenge or the Four Nations events in Europe don’t have to take Russia. The NHL isn’t bound by it either for the World Cup of Hockey. The league never followed the IIHF ban in the first place and opted to keep Russia out largely because Finland and Sweden threatened to walk.
The World Juniors in Edmonton are the first real test.
