Finland, Norway and Denmark vow to boycott Russia at 2027 ice hockey worlds

A ruling that reopened the door to Russia

On Friday, 30 October, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne overturned IIHF decisions that had kept Russian teams out of the 2026/27 season and ordered their readmission. The appeal came from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, and CAS found that the IIHF's safety and security concerns were not supported by sufficient evidence. Russia has been kept out of world hockey since February 2022, when the IIHF suspended its teams after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. If the ruling stands, Russian teams would be eligible for the men's world championship in Germany in May 2027. The IIHF has voiced disappointment with the verdict and still faces practical questions about fitting Russia into tournaments that were planned long ago.

Finland sets the line, Norway and Denmark follow

Finland, the reigning world champion, left the decision to individual players on Friday, then made a refusal to play Russia its official line on Monday, 2 November. Federation president Heikki Hietanen said the aim is a common front of as many countries as possible, so that no team plays Russia under current conditions. Norway's federation announced on Tuesday, 3 November, that it would not play Russia at the May championship, citing serious security risks for players and staff. Denmark followed the same day, and its federation chief Henrik Bach Nielsen told the Ritzau agency that the decision was made with the safety of players and fans in mind. Sweden's federation has also said it will not play Russia under current conditions, but Berliner Zeitung reports that its chief, Anders Larsson, calls a boycott not an option and wants the federation to vote on it first. Larsson sits on the IIHF board. Czech federation president Alois Hadamczik supports a boycott but says the executive committee must decide and that his country cannot succeed alone.

Sponsors, host cities and the junior event

Turku, a Finnish host city, said on Monday that it would withdraw as co-host of the U20 World Championship at the turn of 2027/2028 if Russia takes part, and co-host Tampere has decided the same on Tuesday. Nokian Tyres, a Finnish tyre maker, has threatened to end its sponsorship of the worlds if Russia plays, and Czech betting firm Tipsport made the same threat on Monday. A Swedish tournament sponsor had already left before this week. Germany, which hosts the men's worlds in 2027, is considering handing the tournament back, and the German federation (DEB) does not rule that out. Die Welt reports that the DEB and the German government view the CAS ruling critically. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen wrote on X that Russian athletes have no place in Finland next year while the war continues, and she wants measures introduced in the coming days.

The wider field and what comes next

Latvian law bars its teams and individual athletes from competing against Russians, and the Latvian federation has reaffirmed that its national teams will not play Russia. The Swiss federation (SIHF) said it had noted the CAS decision, that the next steps fall to the IIHF, and that as one of 16 federations at the worlds it will follow developments and wait for IIHF decisions. Ukraine has qualified for the 16-nation tournament for the first time in 20 years, and its federation says the threats behind the 2022 suspension have intensified. The provisional draw places Finland in Group A in Mannheim with Germany, Latvia and Ukraine, and Berliner Zeitung reports that Ukraine, as the weaker promoted team, could lose its place to Russia. The IIHF has not yet said how it will reorganize the field, so the positions of the federations and host cities remain open.