Russia Out of World Juniors in Alberta Despite CAS Ruling
The IIHF confirmed Russia will not send a team to the 2027 world junior hockey championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, citing Canadian government restrictions, even though the Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered its immediate reinstatement on Oct. 30.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) confirmed in a statement that Russia will not have a team at the world junior ice hockey championships in Alberta next month, citing restrictions imposed by the Canadian government. The tournament runs Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer.
The decision stands even though the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered Russia's immediate reinstatement in an Oct. 30 ruling. The IIHF says Canada will remain the host, despite going against the CAS decision.
Ottawa's position
Prime Minister Mark Carney pushed back quickly. Speaking Nov. 3 at a meeting of Commonwealth countries in Antigua, he said Russian and Belarusian athletes would be barred from Alberta whatever the court decided.
"While Russia and Belorussia (sic) are supporting this illegal, unjustified, horrific war in Ukraine, as long as that's going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada," Carney said. "So if you're asking specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there."
Ottawa later clarified that even Russian players holding valid Canadian visas would be barred.
Background to the dispute
Russia and Belarus have been banned from international hockey tournaments since 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The CAS ruling would apply to the world juniors and four other tournaments, including the women's world championship set for November 2027 in Quebec City.
The court later defended its decision. It said the IIHF had not provided enough evidence to justify continuing the ban, and that the ruling rested strictly on legal arguments and the evidence presented.
Boycott threats from other federations
Finland's hockey federation said Nov. 2 that its national teams would not play Russia while the war continues. Sweden, Czechia and Latvia were among the countries that followed over the next few days.
Sweden, the defending world junior champion, said its position "was and is crystal clear — Sweden will not play ice hockey matches against Russia in the situation we are in right now."
The standoff left the tournament in limbo. Norway's federation said it would be bumped from the field in favor of a Russian team. The IIHF never publicly confirmed that.
Russia's response
Russian officials vowed to respond. Russia's ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, criticized Ottawa and accused the government of bringing politics into sport.
Vladislav Tretiak, president of the Russian hockey federation, threatened to seek compensation from Canada. He also said he would push for the Alberta tournament to be moved or cancelled if Russia were barred.
Tretiak also asked the IIHF ethics council to investigate and punish national federations that organize boycotts of games against Russia.
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