Russian hockey chief threatens legal action and tournament relocation over Canada ban
Vladislav Tretiak said the Russian federation will seek compensation and may push for moving or cancelling the World Junior Championship if Canada bars Russian teams from the event.
Russian hockey federation president Vladislav Tretiak warned that Russia will seek compensation from Canada and may demand the relocation or cancellation of next month’s World Junior Championship in Alberta if Russian teams are excluded. The statement follows the Canadian government’s decision to prohibit Russian players from competing, even those holding valid Canadian visas, despite a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that ordered the IIHF to reinstate Russia for five international tournaments, starting with the junior event in Edmonton and Red Deer on Dec. 26.
Tretiak told a presidential sports council meeting, as reported by TASS, that the federation would also pursue compensation from Germany, the host of the 2027 men’s World Championship, if participation is denied. > "There are rules: if a team does not take the ice, it receives a forfeit loss and sanctions are imposed," he said.
He added that the IIHF could either allow Russia to compete, move the tournament, cancel it, or impose sanctions on Canada. Tretiak also said the federation had asked the IIHF’s ethics council to investigate national federations that boycott matches against Russia.
Canada’s sports minister Adam van Koeverden clarified that the exemption for individual athletes does not extend to national teams, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will assess Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials on a case-by-case basis. Prime Minister Mark Carney reiterated that Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be permitted to represent their countries in Canada while the war in Ukraine continues.
Several European federations, including Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Norway, have indicated they will refuse to play Russia. Norway’s federation said the IIHF informed it that Russia would be added to the tournament at Norway’s expense, but Norway still hopes to compete. The IIHF has not yet announced any changes to the tournament lineup, which currently lists ten participating teams. The championship is scheduled to conclude on Jan. 5.