IIHF Responds From Coordinated Abstention From Nation's From Competition Against Russia

Finland, Sweden, Czechia, Latvia, Norway, and Denmark will not be facing Russia in international ice hockey competition their national federations announced in the wake of a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling ordering the immediate reinstatement of Russia to international men's and women's hockey competitions.

Following those announcements, two nations, Finland and Canada, stated that they will not permit entry of Russian teams into their countries for the purpose of international competition. There was also suggestion from Czechia, although without a firm edict, that they would not permit entry to Russian teams or athletes.

For the IIHF, those three nations are critical not only due to their status as global powers in ice hockey, but also as soon-to-be hosts of international competition. Canada is set to host the 2027 IIHF men's World Junior Championships beginning December 26 in Alberta. In the second week of January, Czechia is slated to host the 2027 women's U-18 World Championships. In 2028, Finland will host the men's World Championship, while Canada will host the 2027 women's World Championship. 

It means that outside the 2027 men's World Championships scheduled for Germany, and the 2027 U-18 men's World Championships slated for the United States, Russian teams will not have access to tournaments.

Following the announcements from various associations, federations, and governments, the IIHF today released a statement in response. The IIHF council has been meeting to discuss the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision and the logistical, competition, and safety implications.

"Following the recent Council meeting, the IIHF maintains its disagreement with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision and will continue to closely monitor related developments and their implications for the affected IIHF World Championships," the IIHF wrote in their statement.

"The IIHF is aware of the recent statements made from key stakeholders regarding this decision and is carefully analyzing the scenarios around CAS’s ruling. As presented to the CAS, the immediate reintegration of Russian teams presents significant practical and sporting challenges, including visa and entry requirements, security provisions, logistical constraints and consequences for competition formats, all compounded by the limited time available, with some events only weeks away.The global impact of the decision made by the CAS Panel and the challenges it creates for all involved were significantly underestimated."

The IIHF went on to state they remain in conversation with member associations, tournament organizing committees, and other stakeholders to see if there are pathways to maintain the efficicient and safe operation of events, and the integrity of competitions.