IIHF ordered to allow Russia back into world championships
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled that Russian teams must be allowed to take part in international ice hockey tournaments. The IIHF had banned Russia following the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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In a statement published on Friday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport(CAS) said it had overturned International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) decisions, which exclude Russia from events during the 2026-27 season, including the men's and women's world championships.
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In the statement, the CAS cited a lack of sufficient evidence to support security concerns cited by the IIHF in its decisions to exclude Russian teams from competition.
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Specifically, it ordered the IIHF to allow Russia to participate in five upcoming tournaments, including the Men's Ice Hockey World Championship in Germany next May and the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship scheduled for November 2027 in Canada.
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The first tournament affected by the ruling is the Men's World Junior Championship, which opens in Edmonton on December 26. The Women's World Championship being hosted by Denmark starting next Friday, November 6, is not mentioned in the statement.
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Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov hailed the CAS ruling, writing on the Telegram social media app that CAS had "recognized the demands of the Russian Hockey Federation on key points as justified."
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The IIHF expressed disappointment with the ruling , saying it "maintains that its decisions were necessary to protect the safety and security of all participants and safeguard the integrity of its competitions."
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"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."
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Germany's ice hockey association, the DEB, also expressed disappointment at the decision.
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"Our position is unchanged: We reject the return of Russian national teams to international ice hockey tournaments," said DEB chairman Frank Lutz, who added that the ruling had fundamentally changed things for Germany as hosts of the 2027 Men's World Championship.
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"Allowing Russia to participate entails significant security-related, political, and economic consequences for us as hosts. We are now evaluating the ruling together with the IIHF and will provide information regarding the next steps."
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In its statement, the IIHF also pointed to "significant practical implications for competitions already at an advanced stage of preparation," which includes the men's tournament to be hosted by Düsseldorf, Mannheim and Gelsenkirchen and for which the groups have already been drawn.
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Among the teams slated to participate in the tournament are Ukraine, who are set to make their return to ice hockey's international top flight after winning promotion at this year's Division 1 tournament in Poland. Ukraine had spent two decades in international ice hockey's second tier since being relegated in 2007.
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Unsurprisingly, the Ukranian federation (FHU) has also condemned the CAS decision.
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"The Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine respects the authority and status of the CAS. At the same time, we express our deep indignation at this decision, made amidst a full-scale war," it said in a statement.
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"The threats that served as the basis for the suspension of Russian teams in 2022 have not disappeared; on the contrary, they have only intensified."
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The IIHF has barred Russian teams from its tournaments since shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This meant Russia also missed this year's prestigious Olympic hockey tournaments in Milan earlier this year.
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Russia and its predecessor, the Soviet Union, are one of the most successful ice hockey-playing nations, having won 27 men's World Championships, second only to Canada (28).
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Friday's ruling comes with the IIHF having just elected a new president – Germany's Franz Reindl took over from Luc Tardif of France earlier this month.
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