IIHF confirms Russia will not play at 2026 World Junior Championship in Canada

Federation statement and tournament details

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) said on Sunday, 15 November, that Russia's under-20 team will not take part in the world junior championship. The federation pointed to the position and restrictions that the Canadian government has formally communicated. The tournament runs from 26 December 2026 to 5 January 2027 in Edmonton and Red Deer. After weighing alternatives, the IIHF Council decided that Canada stays as host, and all participating national associations have been informed. An updated schedule will be published soon, and Norway will take Russia's place in the field.

Canada's visa stance and the court ruling

Russia and Belarus have been excluded from international hockey tournaments since February 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the IIHF last extended that ban in January 2026. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seated in Lausanne, ruled that Russian teams must be readmitted to IIHF events, including the world championship. The ruling was also set to apply to four other tournaments, among them the women's world championship scheduled for November 2027 in Quebec City. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on 3 November, at a Commonwealth meeting in Antigua, that Russian and Belarusian athletes would be barred from competitions in Alberta whatever the CAS decision. Ottawa later added that Russian players holding valid visas to compete in Canada would also be excluded from the junior championship. Adam van Koeverden, Canada's secretary of state for sport, made the position explicit in a statement:

“With respect to the 2026 World Junior Championship specifically, Russian athletes will not participate.”

Reactions from European federations

Finland's federation said on 2 November that its national teams would not play against Russia in international tournaments for as long as the war in Ukraine continues. Sweden, Czechia and Latvia followed within the next few days, and Norway and Denmark also announced that they would not play Russia. Sweden's federation, the reigning world junior champion, said its position on not facing Russia remains unchanged. Several sponsors of the IIHF have threatened to withdraw funding if Russia is admitted, and some teams have threatened a boycott of their own.

Questions over the 2027 world championship

The men's world championship is scheduled for May 2027 in Germany, and it is unclear what the CAS decision means for that event. Sebastian Hille, deputy government spokesperson, told a press conference in Berlin on 13 November that refusing visas to Russian hockey players would not solve the question of their participation. In that case, the tournament would most likely be moved to another country. The IIHF has appealed the CAS ruling, arguing that two of the three arbitrators who decided Russia's admission did not disclose business ties with Russia. The German government could follow Canada's example. The IIHF has said that further championship questions will be handled at its next meeting.