The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Friday that Russia must be allowed to return to IIHF international events after being excluded since 2022.
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled Friday that Russia must be allowed to return to ice hockey’s international tournaments, overturning IIHF decisions that had kept it out since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
CAS set aside IIHF exclusions affecting the 2026–27 season, including the men’s and women’s world championships and the world juniors. Russia also missed the Olympic tournaments this year.
In a brief statement, CAS said the IIHF’s security concerns were not supported by sufficient evidence. CAS also said its ruling did not address whether Russia should have to play without national symbols as neutral athletes, as in some other Olympic sports, or other “organizational consequences.”
IIHF officials said they were disappointed with the ruling. The IIHF said it “maintains that its decisions were necessary to protect the safety and security of all participants and safeguard the integrity of its competitions,” and added that the CAS outcome does not remove the concerns that informed its assessments.
For Russia, the result was welcomed by Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov, who wrote on Telegram that CAS “recognized the demands of the Russian Hockey Federation on key points as justified.”
The decision also creates immediate uncertainty for the men’s world championship next year in Germany, with Ukraine having qualified as well. New IIHF president Franz Reindl said, “Our task now is to implement this ruling responsibly,” noting that several championships are only weeks away and that changes to participation affect players, teams, organizing committees and host cities.
German hockey federation chairman Frank H. Lutz said Germany remains opposed to Russia’s participation and warned that allowing Russia in has “significant security, political and financial consequences for us as hosts.”
It was not clear how Russia would be inserted into the already-determined tournament draw. Adding Russia could mean uneven groups and a longer tournament to fit additional games, while removing a qualified team—potentially Ukraine—could risk a backlash.
Ukraine’s Hockey Federation said it disagreed with the ruling and argued that security concerns have intensified since 2022. The federation did not indicate how it would approach the world championship.
The IIHF said “practical arrangements” would be decided after it assesses the ruling. Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic all said they were disappointed, with Sweden’s Anders Larsson saying, “a boycott is not on the table.” Finland indicated individual players could opt out of tournaments that include Russia. Canada said in a statement that “The implications of today’s decision by CAS are not immediately clear” and that it is in contact with the IIHF to learn more.
The next tournament where Russia could return is the men’s world junior championship hosted by Canada in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, starting Dec. 26. Other events covered by the CAS ruling include the women’s world championship in Canada in November 2027, and men’s and women’s under-18 championships starting in April in Minnesota and January in the Czech Republic, respectively.
In the Czech Republic, President Petr Pavel’s spokesperson said a Russian team playing under its national flag could have political repercussions, citing the president’s stated position that as long as Russian aggression continues he considers it appropriate to ban athletes under the Russian and Belarusian flags.
While the CAS ruling applies to IIHF competitions, it has no effect on the NHL. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association are running the 2028 World Cup of Hockey without the IIHF and national federations, and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said they do not yet need to make a decision about Russia last month, adding that “the more information you have to make any decision, the better the decision will be.”
Russia last won gold at the men’s world championships in 2014, and its overall total of 27 titles is second only to Canada’s 28 at that event. Since 2022, Russia has organized exhibition games with developmental rosters, mostly against Belarus and Kazakhstan, while the IIHF has also excluded Belarus.
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