Prominent IIHF Sponsors Threaten To Withdraw Support If Russia Is Included

The fallout of Russia being reinstated to the International Ice Hockey Federation is continuing, now with some potentially major financial implications.

Multiple long-time sponsors of IIHF-sanctioned tournaments released statements on Wednesday, threatening to pull out any financial support if Russia is included in any tournaments.

German workwear brand Strauss, Swedish furniture brand AJ Products, and Czechia automaker Skoda have all voiced their disappointment in the CAS's ruling.

"We have been a partner of the Ice Hockey World Championship for many years and value our collaboration with the IIHF," Henning Strauss, CEO and chief brand officer of Strauss said in a release.

"Should Russia's national team participate in the 2027 World Championship in Germany as a result of the CAS ruling, we will forgo all logo exposure associated with the tournament. We are also considering withdrawing as a sponsor."

AJ Produkter chair Enock Johansson said in a release: "Removing our logo after all these years is not a decision we make lightly. But our company has always stood for more than just commercial success. It is based on values, responsibility and doing what we believe is right. Sometimes that means making difficult decisions, even when they come at a price."

While Czechia automaker Skoda voiced a similar displeasure on the ruling, the brand did not outright threaten to remove its sponsorship from upcoming events. Skoda is the primary sponsor of the IIHF world championships, with the next event taking place in May in Germany.

"With Russia’s aggression continuing, we believe the Russian national team’s return to the World Championship is incompatible with the values we have consistently upheld," the company wrote in a release. "If the Russian national team takes part in the tournament, we will reassess our involvement in the tournament and take further action."

This news comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Oct. 30 that Russia must be eligible to return to ice hockey world championships. This ruling overturned a previous ban that has kept Russia out of international hockey events since 2022 as a result of the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Since the ruling, the IIHF and various hockey federations from around the globe have voiced their disappointment in the decision. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Nov. 3 that Russia will not be participating in the upcoming world junior hockey championship which takes place in Alberta in December, going against the CAS's ruling.

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