Court rules Russia can compete in IIHF tournaments immediately

A massive ruling in the world of international hockey.

On Thursday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced that the Russian Ice Hockey Federation will be allowed to enter teams into International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments, effective immediately.

That means Russia can compete in the upcoming 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship, which is set to drop the puck in Alberta in just 57 days.

In a release, the IIHF said it disapproves of the decision made by the CAS.

“The IIHF disagrees with this aspect of the ruling and maintains that its decisions were necessary to protect the safety and security of all participants and safeguard the integrity of its competitions,” the organization wrote. “While the IIHF respects the authority of CAS and will act in accordance with its ruling, the outcome does not remove the concerns that informed its assessments.”

With the CAS’ ruling, Russia will be allowed to play at the World Juniors and other tournaments set to take place in 2027 – the IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship, the IIHF Men’s World Championship, the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship and the IIHF Women’s World Championship (which has been moved to November).

If Russia’s admittance to the major events means the lowest-ranked team is eliminated, that means Norway would be bounced from the WJC, Hungary from the Women’s U18s and of all countries, Ukraine would be demoted from the top division of the Men’s Worlds. The Men’s U18s would have to make some changes as well. As of this time, the IIHF has not outlined a plan regarding schedules or team changes.

Russia has been banned from IIHF competition since the nation invaded Ukraine shortly after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, which saw Russian athletes play under the ‘Russian Olympic Committee’ banner. The country was banned along with Belarus, which supported Russia during the war.

However, in the last few months, the International Olympic Committee lifted its suspension of the ROC, while the IIHF has reinstated Belarus for the U-18 Men’s Worlds, the Division IV Women’s Worlds and the U-18 Division III Women’s Worlds.

“The IIHF will urgently assess the steps and time required to give effect to the ruling and address its operational consequences” the IIHF added. “The safety of all participants and the integrity of each championship will remain central to this work.”