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Tretiak says Russia will seek compensation if barred from the world juniors in Alberta

Tretiak says Russia will seek compensation if barred from the world juniors in Alberta

Vladislav Tretiak says Russia will demand compensation from Canada and Germany if it is prevented from competing at the 2026 world juniors in Alberta and the 2027 men’s world championship.

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Russian hockey federation president Vladislav Tretiak says Russia will seek compensation if its team is barred from next month’s world junior championship in Alberta, after Ottawa said Russian players would not be permitted to compete even if they hold valid Canadian visas.

The threat follows a statement from Canada earlier this week regarding eligibility for the tournament, despite a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling last month ordering Russia’s reinstatement to international hockey.

State news agency TASS reported that Tretiak told a presidential sports council meeting Russia would demand compensation from Canada and Germany, which is hosting the 2027 men’s world championship, if it is denied participation.

TASS also reported that Tretiak said he would push for the tournaments to be moved and for sanctions against organizers.

Tretiak said the federation had asked the International Ice Hockey Federation’s ethics council to investigate and punish national federations organizing boycotts of games against Russia, according to TASS.

At the same sports council meeting, TASS reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin said national federations were refusing matches against Russian teams under pressure from their governments.

Several hockey federations, including Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Norway, have said their teams will refuse to face Russia.

The world juniors are scheduled to begin Dec. 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer.

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