Clubs aside: FHR demands to punish opponents of Russia's return

The Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) has demanded that national associations that advocate boycotting matches with Russian national teams be punished. A corresponding appeal has been sent to the Ethics Council of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), said Vladislav Tretyak, President of the Russian Hockey Federation. The reason was the reaction of a number of European countries to the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the return of Russians to international tournaments. At the same time, the participation of the Russian national team in the 2027 World Youth Championship remains questionable: the Canadian authorities have stated that they will not allow Russian hockey players to participate in the tournament even if they have valid visas. The RIHF insists on admitting the team or moving the competition to another country.

Boycott demands

After the October 30 decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ordered the IIHF to allow Russian national teams to participate in five 2027 World Championships, several European federations opposed our return. Representatives of Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Norway and Denmark announced their unwillingness to play. A little later, Austria took a similar position.

The Finnish Hockey Union also announced negotiations with other national associations to develop a joint position. The head of the Russian Federation, Vladislav Tretyak, believes that the organizers of such initiatives should be disciplined.

"The RIHF has sent a request to the IIHF Ethics Council demanding that those federations that organized such a boycott be investigated and punished," the head of the Russian Federation told TASS.

At the same time, the IIHF itself expressed disappointment with the CAS ruling. The international organization stressed that it remains concerned about the safety of competitors, but intends to comply with the court's decision. The 2027 World Youth Championship became a separate subject of dispute. The tournament is scheduled to take place from December 26, 2026 to January 5, 2027 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Canada. On November 8, it became known that the IIHF had sent out an updated draft schedule to the national federations, according to which Russia should replace Norway and receive the tenth seeding number. However, the official competition calendar still lists the Scandinavian team.

On November 10, the RIHF sent a separate letter to the international federation demanding that Russians participate in the MFM or move the competition to another country. The next day, it became known that the Canadian authorities had notified the IIHF and their own Hockey Federation of their refusal to issue visas to Russian players to participate in the tournament. According to TSN, hockey players who already have valid visas, even in neutral status, will also not be allowed to compete.

Dmitry Svishchev, a State Duma deputy and chairman of the Russian Ski Sports Association, made a proposal to deprive Canada of the right to host the World Youth Championship.

"I fully support the idea of taking away the hosting of the MFM from Canada and moving it to another country,— Dmitry Svishchev emphasized to Izvestia. — They don't want to let the Russians in, they don't respect their athletes and fans, so in this case they need to move the tournament to another country. Nothing terrible will happen in the transfer. We also need to punish the Canadian Hockey Federation for violating all international rights and norms. Moreover, the Canadians do not give a damn about the recommendations of the IOC, as well as the CAS decision regarding the Russian national team. I am sure there are a number of countries, including Russia, that are ready to host the World Youth Championship.

Postponement of the MFM-2027

However, former IIHF President Rene Fasel doubts the possibility of postponement. In a conversation with Izvestia, an experienced functionary drew attention to the organizational difficulties associated with the preparation of the competition.

— A possible postponement of the World Youth Championship is unlikely. There is too little time to find another organizer," the functionary said.

Former head coach of the Russian national team Vyacheslav Bykov, in turn, drew attention to the sporting consequences of the ineligibility. The specialist believes that the Russian youth team could compete for gold medals.

"International politics has long been embedded in sports, and it is not surprising that in this situation they are trying to humiliate the Russian national team," Vyacheslav Bykov told Izvestia. — I'm really sorry about our guys. In my opinion, the Russian national team would be the main contender for the MFM gold.

"Prudence always prevails and will win"

The Minister of Sports of Belarus Sergey Kovalchuk — on the return of athletes to the international arena, the principle of reciprocity and joint competitions with Russia

From a legal point of view, the situation also remains difficult. Anna Anceliovich, head of the Clover Consult sports practice, explained in a comment to TASS that the IIHF cannot force the Canadian government to issue visas to foreign citizens. However, in her opinion, the admission of hockey players who are already in the country is within the competence of the international federation.

"If there is an opportunity for Russians in Canada to be given the opportunity to play, then the IIHF is obliged to ensure this,— said Anceliovich.

The lawyer also allowed the transfer of the championship to another country as one of the ways to enforce the CAS decision, but called such a scenario unrealistic.

Reaction to Russia's non-admission

A detailed analysis of the situation was prepared by The Hockey News columnist Tony Ferrari. "It seems that Russia's return to international hockey may be postponed," the journalist began his article.

Ferrari considered several possible scenarios. In his opinion, the IIHF can include the Russian national team in the schedule, but then count technical defeats to it, return Norway or move the competition to another country. The latter option is complicated by the fact that the tournament is less than two months away.

"We are at a crossroads," the observer stated.

Ferrari noted that the example of Canada can be followed by the organizers of other international tournaments. For example, Finnish Turku has already announced its readiness to abandon hosting matches of the 2028 World Youth Championship in the event of Russia's participation. Germany also allows for a review of the conditions for hosting the adult World Cup 2027.

The situation is complicated by the sponsors' position. Some companies cooperating with the international federation have threatened to stop financial support.

— World hockey is caught between a rock and a hard place, — concluded the journalist.

The Canadian edition of Daily Faceoff commented on the decision of the authorities.

—Canada stubbornly stands its ground,— wrote journalist Tyler Kewell.

The author believes that after the new restrictions, the return of the Russian national team to international competitions was again in question. He also suggested that Norway will get the vacant place on the MFM.