Canada refuses to allow Russian teams at World Junior Hockey Championships despite CAS ruling
Canada announced that Russian athletes will be barred from the upcoming World Junior Championships in Alberta, even though the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the IIHF ban.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Hockey Canada said on Tuesday that Russian athletes will not be permitted to compete for Russia at next month’s World Junior Championships in Alberta, despite a recent Court of Arbitration for Sport decision that lifted the International Ice Hockey Federation’s ban.
The CAS ruling on Friday allowed Russian teams to take part in upcoming men’s and women’s world championships, overturning the IIHF’s earlier exclusions. Canada, however, maintained its position, with Carney stating, "While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal and 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."
Hockey Canada issued a statement thanking the government for its “strong position” to prevent Russian and Belarusian officials and athletes from competing under their national symbols on Canadian soil and said it would discuss next steps with its board.
Several European hockey federations, including Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia and Denmark, also announced they would boycott games against Russia while the conflict continues. STRAUSS, a workwear sponsor of the upcoming Ice Hockey World Championship, said it would withdraw logo exposure and consider ending its sponsorship if Russia participates in the 2027 tournament in Germany.
Ukraine’s ice hockey federation expressed “deep outrage” at the CAS decision, citing ongoing security concerns linked to the war. Russia’s sports minister, Mikhail Degtyarev, called the CAS ruling an end to discrimination in hockey.