Russia threatens Germany and Canada with compensation and sanctions over World Championship exclusion

Compensation threat against two hosts

The Russian Ice Hockey Federation has warned Germany and Canada, the two host countries, that it will demand financial compensation and seek further sanctions if Russia's team is excluded from the world championships they organize. Federation president Vladislav Tretiak told the news agency TASS that the federation has already filed a request with the ethics committee of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). After a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other sports officials, Tretiak, a former Russian national goalkeeper, said the federation would demand compensation, push for the postponement of competitions and impose sanctions on the organizers if Canada and Germany refuse to admit the team.

Why the threats came now

The dispute centres on the reinstatement of Russian teams, which the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has requested. Several countries have threatened to boycott the tournament if the Russian team competes, and sponsors have also threatened a boycott. Finland, the reigning world champion, is among the countries that have said they will not play against Russian teams. Several countries alongside Finland have taken the same position.

Visa restrictions spread across four countries

Canada, host of the men's U20 world junior championship at the end of the year, has said it will not issue visas to Russian players. In Germany, which is due to host the men's world championship in 2027, the federal government has said that holding the tournament would be "practically impossible" if Russia took part. Finland and Norway have also said they will not issue visas to Russian athletes, and both governments made their announcements in the week of 9 November 2026. Those restrictions will initially affect mainly winter sports, because numerous competitions are held in both countries. Norway's culture and equality minister, Lubna Jaffery, said the government does not want Russian and Belarusian professional athletes and their support staff admitted to international competitions, citing Russia's continuing war of aggression.

Putin and the German federation respond

Putin said Russia intends to secure the participation of its athletes in international competitions through sports justice. He said Russia must keep to that legal route and uphold the decisions taken, including those of the CAS, and he accused the other side of ignoring the legal system and disregarding the principles of the Olympic Charter. The German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) had already urged the IIHF to resolve the question quickly. Its chairman of the executive board, Frank Lutz, said:

“We understand that a solution cannot simply fall from the sky overnight. But dragging it out for several more weeks is unthinkable for us.”

Lutz also said that the reinstatement of Russia and its consequences for the tournament represent a significant economic risk for the host.

What remains open

The articles do not report an IIHF decision on the Russian application or on the reinstatement of Russian teams, and they give no date for one. Whether Russian teams will take part in the 2027 men's world championship in Germany remains unresolved. Canada's visa decision and the Finnish and Norwegian restrictions are already in force for the events they cover, while the outcome of the Russian application is still pending in the sources.