Russian Hockey Has Faced A Widespread Boycott

The court's ruling will not help Russia return to the world stage.

Despite the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling allowing Russian teams to participate in five international tournaments, Russia’s return to the world of hockey has faced resistance from a number of countries, tournament organizers, and sponsors. Canada has refused to allow Russian and Belarusian players to participate in the World Junior Championship; Germany considers hosting the 2027 World Championship with Russia’s participation to be virtually impossible; and several European national teams have announced a boycott of matches against Russia, according to Reuters.

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), led by German official Franz Reindl, has agreed to comply with the CAS ruling, although it makes no secret of its disagreement with it. Norway has already announced that it will not participate in the 2027 World Junior Championship.

However, the final decision on eligibility largely depends on the host countries. Canada does not intend to issue entry permits to Russian and Belarusian hockey players to participate in the World Junior Championship in Alberta. The Czech Republic has been unable to issue short-term visas to Russian female players for the U18 Women’s World Junior Championship in Ostrava.

In Germany, hosting the 2027 World Championship with the Russian national team has been called “practically impossible.” Meanwhile, eight countries—Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, and Ukraine—have refused to play against Russia. The Swiss junior team will also skip its head-to-head match against the Russians.

Problems have also arisen with sponsors. AJ Products has already ended its partnership, Nokian Tyres intends to withdraw, and Skoda is reconsidering its participation. Strauss plans to remove its logos from the competition. Finland, for its part, has refused to host the 2028 World Championship if the Russian national team is allowed to participate in the tournament.

Belarusian teams remain suspended from international competitions.

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