Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has ruled out a Russian team taking part in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, scheduled to be held in Alberta from December 26 to January 5, 2027. His statement puts Canada at odds with a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that allowed Russian teams to return to ice hockey tournaments.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Commonwealth leaders’ summit on Tuesday, Carney said athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus would not represent their countries in Canada while the two nations supported what he described as Russia’s war against Ukraine. Asked specifically about the junior tournament, he said Russia would not be there.
One possible way to prevent a Russian delegation from attending would be to deny its members visas. The Canadian ice hockey federation thanked the government for its position, saying it would keep Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from competing under their national symbols at international sporting events in Canada.
The tournament will be played in Edmonton and Red Deer. Germany is among the ten teams listed as participants; Russia is not. German Ice Hockey Federation president Franz Reindl said over the weekend that the federation and event organizers had not yet received an official statement from the Canadian government.
Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Latvia have said they would not play against Russia. The head of the Czech federation has also backed a boycott. The Finnish city of Turku, meanwhile, said it would withdraw as a co-host of the 2027–28 World Juniors if Russia were allowed to participate.
The CAS ruling could also affect the senior men’s World Championship, scheduled for May 14–30, 2027, in Düsseldorf and Mannheim. Russia would be eligible to compete following the ruling on its appeal against the International Ice Hockey Federation. Germany’s ice hockey federation is reviewing whether it can host the event and has said it is considering the option of giving it up. A German government spokesperson said the government would discuss the ruling’s possible consequences with the federation.
Sources: FAZ.