The IIHF will not allow Russian or Belarusian teams back into international competition for the 2026-26 season due to ongoing safety concerns following Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine.
The IIHF's council met this week and concluded that Russian and Belarusian teams would remain barred from international ice hockey competitions for the 2026-27 season.
The IIHF stated that, "Following its latest meeting and based on a detailed risk assessment, the IIHF Council believes it is not yet safe to reintegrate the Russian and Belarusian National and Club Teams to its championships for the 2026-2027 season as the current security conditions do not allow the necessary requirements for the organization of tournaments guaranteeing the safety of all."
In women's hockey, Russia's national programs have not competed in World competitions since 2021 with the expulsion due to the nation's devastating and globally condemned attacks on Ukraine.
This season three Russian players entered the PWHL, all as members of the Ottawa Charge. Two of those players, Anna Shokhina, who has since been traded to the Vancouver Goldeneyes, and Fanuza Kadirova, are long time members of Russia's national program. Recent Yale graduate Vita Poniatovskaia, who is a reserve with Ottawa, represented Russia at three U-18 World Championships, but has not played at the senior national level for Russia as the nation was expelled from World competition during her rookie NCAA season.
"As the safety and security of all participants and the proper organization of each event remain a clear priority, the IIHF must ensure that these requirements are guaranteed for every tournament. The IIHF will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and conduct ongoing safety risk analyses," the world governing body wrote of their decision.
Russia responded with a statement of their own saying," The RIHF believes that the argument regarding the impossibility of ensuring the safety of participants in international tournaments involving Russian national teams is no longer relevant, lacks any basis, and is merely a formal pretext for denying our country's participation."
It's expected more Russian players will join the PWHL next season with defenders Maria Batalova and Anna Shibanova both expected to declare for the 2026 PWHL Draft.
Russia's women's national team played a trio of games in December against other Russian clubs. Their national team roster included goaltenders Darya Gredzen, Valeria Merkusheva, and Alyona Ashina; defenders Polina Arkhipova, Irina Zhigulin, Elena Provorova, Marina Lazareva, Anna Sviridova, Alexandra Kozyr, Angelina Makhmutova, and Yulia Nuyaksheva; and forwards Landysh Falyakhova, Elizaveta Shkalyova, Alyona Starovoytova, Ekaterina Likhachyova, Kristina Glukharyova, Ksenia Ponomaryova, Valeria Ivanova, Elizaveta Dubey, Alexandra Nesterova, Veronika Korzhakova, Viktoria Fyodorova, Anastasia Petrova, Oksana Mitrofanova, Sofya Krivosheeva, and Afina Patmanidis.