- Turku says it will give up the 2028 World Juniors if Russia is allowed to play
- Finland’s hockey federation is trying to build a united front against Russia
- Read below for the mayor’s statement, the IIHF board meeting and the World Cup angle
Turku, Finland will not host the 2028 World Juniors if Russia is allowed to play.
The city announced the decision Monday. Turku plans to give up its share of the 2027-28 tournament if the Russian national team enters, and Mayor Piia Elo explained why in the city’s statement.
“As long as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues, we cannot accept the Russian national team”
Check out the announcement:
Turku and Tampere are scheduled to split the tournament from Dec. 26, 2027 through Jan. 5, 2028. Elo told Finnish broadcaster Yle that Turku made the call without Tampere, and the city hopes the IIHF and the Finnish government can find a way to keep Russia out.
Tampere is taking a quieter route. Mayor Ilmari Nurminen told Yle the city wants national guidelines for events that involve Russian or Belarusian athletes, and Yle saw letters showing he asked the foreign ministry for them back in September. The ministry answered with details on sanctions and visas but no actual instructions. Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said over the weekend that Russian athletes have no business coming to Finland next year if the war continues.
Finland’s hockey federation is going further than one host city. Chairman Heikki Hietanen explained the plan in a statement.
“We are currently gathering as many countries as possible to form a common front to tell the IIHF that none of us will play against Russia in this situation”
Hietanen did not name the countries involved. Sweden, Germany, Czechia and Canada have all voiced opposition since the CAS ruling, and our story on Hockey Canada and the Canadian government pushing back has those reactions.
The IIHF board of directors met Monday as part of a two-day meeting, and Hietanen said the talks continue Tuesday. No decision has been announced. The IIHF said last Friday it disagrees with the ruling but will follow it. Here’s the full statement:
The closest deadline is the 2027 World Juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer, which open Dec. 26. Our breakdown of the CAS ruling covers how adding Russia could push Norway out of the field.
The NHL has its own decision tied to this. Darren Dreger said Friday that the league and the NHLPA still have to pick an eighth team for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, Russia or otherwise, and he was told “sooner the better” with no official timeline.
Turku’s decision puts a host city on record against Russia’s return before the IIHF has said how it will respond.
