Canadian PM Mark Carney says Russians ‘will not’ be at World Juniors

After several European hockey federations have stated their refusal to play against Russia in any international tournaments, Canada has voiced its position on the matter.

While speaking with the media at the Commonwealth summit on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney clarified that Russian national teams will not be permitted to compete within Canada, and that Russia will not be icing a team at the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.

“To be clear, we respect the decisions of the Finns, the Czechs, the Swedes, and other nations, but this is a decision we take on our own,” Carney said. “Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal and unjustified horrific war in Ukraine. As long as that’s going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada. So if you’re asking specifically about the World Juniors, the Russians will not be there.”

Following the Prime Minister’s comments, Hockey Canada issued a statement acknowledging and thanking the Canadian government for its stance, while expressing an intent to establish next steps in light of the government’s position.

“Hockey Canada thanks the Government of Canada for today’s strong position that Canada intends to prevent Russian and Belarusian officials and athletes from participating under their national symbols in international sporting events taking place on Canadian soil,” the statement reads. “We will be meeting with our Board of Directors this week to discuss next steps given the government’s clear position.”

This flurry of proclamations against Russian participation in international hockey tournaments comes after a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) allowing Russia and Belarus to compete in International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) events.

Russia and Belarus had been banned from IIHF tournaments since the invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.