Major sponsors threatening to pull out of IIHF tournaments if Russia is allowed back in
As if the countries threatening to boycott International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments weren’t enough, big-name sponsors might follow suit following a recent court ruling.
On Wednesday, several reports came out that several sponsors that have been associated with the IIHF – AJ Produkter, Skoda and Strauss – have made statements regarding the potential return of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation to IIHF events.
German company Strauss and AJ Produkter have both come out, saying that they will pull their branding from the 2027 IIHF Men’s World Championship if Russia is allowed to participate.
““We have been a partner of the Ice Hockey World Championship for many years and value our collaboration with the IIHF,” CEO and Chief Brand Officer of STRAUSS, Henning Strauss, said in a release. “Should Russia’s national team participate in the 2027 World Championship in Germany as a result of the CAS ruling, we will forgo all logo exposure associated with the tournament. We are also considering withdrawing as a sponsor.”
“Removing our logo after all these years is not a decision we make lightly,” AJ Produkter chair Enock Johansson stated in a release. “But our company has always stood for more than just commercial success. It is based on values, responsibility and doing what we believe is right. Sometimes that means making difficult decisions, even when they come at a price.”
Czech automaker Skoda didn’t take a firm stance on pulling its sponsorship of the Men’s Worlds, but they clearly aren’t in favor of seeing Russia in action.
“We do not support the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision regarding the participation of Russian national teams in IIHF competitions,” Skoda, which is part of Germany’s Volkswagen Group, said in a release. “With Russia’s aggression continuing, we believe the Russian national team’s return to the World Championship is incompatible with the values we have consistently upheld. If the Russian national team takes part in the tournament, we will reassess our involvement in the tournament and take further action.”
All three brands have been synonymous with international hockey. AJ Produkter has been a sponsor for close to four decades,
This comes less than a week after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the RIHF can compete in IIHF tournaments immediately. The backlash from fans has only been a supporting character to the reactions from other hockey federations, with Czechia, Sweden, and Finland among the nations stating that they won’t play Russian teams.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that Russia “will not” be at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship, which is set to take place in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.