Following CAS ruling, Russia’s return to international hockey faces opposition

CAS overturns exclusion decisions

In a statement published Friday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said it had overturned International Ice Hockey Federation decisions barring Russian teams from events in the 2026-27 season. Those events included the men’s and women’s world championships.

CAS cited insufficient evidence to support the security concerns the IIHF had raised. It ordered the federation to allow Russia into five upcoming tournaments, including the men’s world championship in Germany next May and the women’s championship in Canada in November 2027.

Upcoming tournaments affected

The first competition affected by the ruling is the Men’s World Junior Championship, which opens in Edmonton on December 26. The CAS statement did not mention the Women’s World Championship in Denmark, scheduled to start the following Friday, November 6.

The IIHF has excluded Russian teams from its competitions since shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia also missed this year’s Olympic hockey tournaments in Milan.

Federations voice opposition

The IIHF said it was disappointed and maintained that its decisions were needed to protect participants and the integrity of its competitions. It said it would comply with CAS, while adding that the ruling did not remove its concerns.

Germany’s association rejects return

The IIHF recently elected a new president: Germany’s Franz Reindl took over from France’s Luc Tardif earlier this month. Russia and the Soviet Union have won 27 men’s world championships, second only to Canada’s 28.