The Russian Ice Hockey Federation successfully appealed the IIHF Council's decision not to reintegrate Russian teams into competition in 2026-27. The council must re-analyze the situation before reaching a new decision.
The IIHF Council must decide again whether to reintegrate Russia's national and club teams for the 2026-27 season.
In January, the council announced it would not allow Russia and Belarus back into its championships for another season. It said current security conditions don't meet the requirements needed to guarantee everyone's safety in a tournament if Russian and Belarusian teams participated.
The Russian Ice Hockey Federation appealed the council's decision to the IIHF Disciplinary Board, which annulled it on May 25. The RIHF said the council failed to provide sufficient justification for the ban, and the safety risk assessment reports contained only general provisions.
"The Disciplinary Board determined that the previous decision could not be maintained in its current form, and as such has sent the matter back to the IIHF Council to re-analyze based on safety, security, operational and sporting plans," the IIHF said in Friday's statement.
Russia's hockey federation said it and Russia's Ministry of Sport made significant progress toward the return of the national teams to international competition.
That said, their return in 2026-27 is not guaranteed.
The council said it will gather all relevant information and then decide on Russia's eligibility in future IIHF competitions on an event-by-event basis.
The IIHF has banned Russian and Belarusian teams from its championships since February 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Four years later, the war continues.
The IIHF Council previously determined it would consider reintegrating youth players from Russian and Belarusian national and club teams into its championships in 2027-28.
At the Olympics, IIHF president Luc Tardif said he wanted Russia and Belarus back into competition as soon as possible, "because first it will mean that the world will be a little bit better."
On May 7, the International Olympic Committee announced it no longer recommends restricting Belarusian athletes and teams from competition. The Russian Olympic Committee remained suspended.
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