Russia's national hockey teams can enter International Ice Hockey Federation events again. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Friday that the IIHF's exclusion of Russia, in place since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, was not backed by sufficient evidence of a safety and security risk, according to the Associated Press.
The ruling overturns IIHF decisions covering the 2026-27 season. That list includes the men's world junior championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, starting Dec. 26, the women's under-18 worlds in the Czech Republic in January, the men's under-18 worlds in Minnesota in April, the men's worlds in Germany in May and the women's worlds in Canada in November 2027, per the AP and Al Jazeera. Next week's women's worlds in Denmark count toward 2025-26 and are not affected.
What CAS Did Not Decide
The court did not rule on whether Russia must play as neutral athletes without its flag and anthem, or on what the IIHF called the "organizational consequences" of putting a team back into tournaments whose draws are already set. The IIHF said it was disappointed, that its concerns remain and that practical arrangements will follow its review of the decision. New IIHF president Franz Reindl said, "Our task now is to implement this ruling responsibly," per the AP.
Belarus, also excluded since 2022, was not mentioned in the ruling. Russia's sports minister, Mikhail Degtyaryov, said on Telegram that CAS had found the Russian federation's demands justified on key points.
Germany, Sweden, Finland, Canada and Ukraine Respond
Germany hosts the men's worlds next May and remains opposed. Federation chairman Frank H. Lutz said Russia's return carries security, political and financial consequences for hosts, per Al Jazeera. Sweden's federation said a boycott is not on the table. Finland's said individual players could opt out of tournaments that include Russia. Hockey Canada said the implications were not yet clear and that it had briefed the federal government. Ukraine, which has qualified for the men's worlds, disagreed with the ruling and said security concerns have grown since 2022.
The NHL is not affected. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league does not yet need to decide on Russian participation in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, per the AP.
What It Means for the Youth Tournaments
The two events most likely to feel the ruling first are the ones with teenagers in them. The world juniors in Alberta open in eight weeks, and the men's U18 worlds in Minnesota in April would be the first IIHF event on U.S. ice with Russia in the field since 2021. Russia and the Soviet Union have won 27 men's world titles, one behind Canada, and last won in 2014; since 2022 the national team has played only exhibitions, mostly against Belarus and Kazakhstan, per Al Jazeera.
The IIHF has not said when it will publish the practical arrangements. Hockey coverage continues on the BallerTube hockey page.
