Canada joins coalition refusing to play Russia in ice hockey after sports court lifts the ban
Canada has joined Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Latvia and the Czech Republic in refusing to play Russia in international ice hockey, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport lifted the IIHF's ban on Russian teams. Prime Minister Mark Carney said no Russian or Belarusian athletes will compete for their countries in Canada while Russia's war in Ukraine continues, so Russia will not be at next month's World Junior Championship in Alberta. Finland is gathering more countries to tell the IIHF they will not play Russia, and four federations say they will refuse to face Russia at next year's men's World Championship in Germany.
Verified
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that Russian and Belarusian skaters will not take part in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships due to start next month in Alberta, telling reporters at the end of a summit in Antigua: 'While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal, 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' — adding, on the world juniors specifically, 'the Russians will not be there.'
Key points
- Carney: no Russian or Belarusian athletes will compete for their countries in Canada while the war in Ukraine continues — 'the Russians will not be there' at next month's World Juniors in Alberta.
- The stand answers a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling on Friday that lifted the IIHF's ban on Russian teams, in place since the February 2022 invasion.
- Seven countries now refuse to play Russia: Canada, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Latvia and the Czech Republic — and four of them extend the refusal to next year's men's Worlds in Germany.
What happened
Russian teams have been shut out of IIHF competition since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. That changed on Friday, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport — after repeated appeals by Russia's hockey federation — lifted the ban, finding the safety case behind it not sufficiently evidenced. The first tournament the ruling reaches is the 2027 World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, which opens on 26 December.
The response came within days. Finland's federation rallied other nations on Monday; on Tuesday Norway led a wave of federations refusing to play Russia, and Canada's prime minister, speaking in Antigua, closed his country's door to Russian and Belarusian athletes outright. The IIHF's executive board was already meeting with the Russia question at the top of its agenda.
Both sides, in their own words
Both sides heard. Neither believed for free. Publishing a side's version is not endorsing it — the claim checks below are where verdicts live.
Side A · Canada and the refusing federations
- While Russia and Belarus support what Carney calls an illegal, unjustified, horrific war in Ukraine, none of those athletes will compete for their countries in Canada — and the refusing federations will not play Russia in international championships while the war continues.
- Norway's federation says its stand rests on protecting the safety and wellbeing of players, team staff and their families, and that playing Russia now could expose them to significant security risks.
Side B · The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling
- Sport's highest court lifted the IIHF's ban on Russian teams on Friday, holding that the safety and security worries behind the exclusion were not supported by sufficient evidence.
- The ruling orders Russia's reinstatement in IIHF events, starting with the World Juniors in Canada — the federations' refusal is a stand against that reinstatement, not a change to the ruling itself.
Independently verified
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that Russian and Belarusian skaters will not take part in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships due to start next month in Alberta, telling reporters at the end of a summit in Antigua: 'While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal, 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' — adding, on the world juniors specifically, 'the Russians will not be there.' The Court of Arbitration for Sport lifted the IIHF's ban on Russian teams on Friday, after several appeals by Russia's hockey federation, holding that the safety and security worries behind the ban were not supported by sufficient evidence. The ban had taken effect after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and had been extended annually. Finland's ice hockey association led the pushback on Monday, asking other nations to stand against the CAS decision, and on Tuesday the federations of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Latvia and the Czech Republic said they sided with Finland — Norway announcing first that it will play every team except Russia. Finland's association president Heikki Hietanen said: 'We are currently gathering as many countries as possible together to tell the IIHF that none of us will play against Russia in this situation.' Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha thanked the European nations for refusing to share the ice with Russia. The stand is spreading beyond the juniors: the federations of Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the Czech Republic said on Tuesday they would refuse to play Russia at next year's men's World Championship in Germany; the Finnish city of Turku said on Monday it will give up hosting the 2028 World Junior Championship if Russia is allowed to compete; and AJ Products, sponsor of the men's World Championship since 1989, said it will not sponsor next year's tournament because of Russia's participation. The IIHF's executive board began a two-day meeting on Monday with the Russia question as its main topic.Not yet verified
Nothing outstanding.§
Match facts — all verified
- ✓ VerifiedCanada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that Russian and Belarusian skaters will not take part in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships due to start next month in Alberta, telling reporters at the end of a summit in Antigua: 'While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal, 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' — adding, on the world juniors specifically, 'the Russians will not be there.'Reuters — Canada will not let Russians compete at ice hockey tournament, says Carney (3 Nov 2026) · The Guardian — Canada joins coalition refusing to play ice hockey against Russia over Ukraine war (3 Nov 2026)
- ✓ VerifiedThe Court of Arbitration for Sport lifted the IIHF's ban on Russian teams on Friday, after several appeals by Russia's hockey federation, holding that the safety and security worries behind the ban were not supported by sufficient evidence. The ban had taken effect after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and had been extended annually.The Guardian — Canada joins coalition refusing to play ice hockey against Russia over Ukraine war (3 Nov 2026) · Reuters — Finnish hockey body leads push to keep Russia out of World Championships (2 Nov 2026)
- ✓ VerifiedFinland's ice hockey association led the pushback on Monday, asking other nations to stand against the CAS decision, and on Tuesday the federations of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Latvia and the Czech Republic said they sided with Finland — Norway announcing first that it will play every team except Russia. Finland's association president Heikki Hietanen said: 'We are currently gathering as many countries as possible together to tell the IIHF that none of us will play against Russia in this situation.' Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha thanked the European nations for refusing to share the ice with Russia.The Guardian — Canada joins coalition refusing to play ice hockey against Russia over Ukraine war (3 Nov 2026) · Reuters — Finnish hockey body leads push to keep Russia out of World Championships (2 Nov 2026)
- ✓ VerifiedThe stand is spreading beyond the juniors: the federations of Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the Czech Republic said on Tuesday they would refuse to play Russia at next year's men's World Championship in Germany; the Finnish city of Turku said on Monday it will give up hosting the 2028 World Junior Championship if Russia is allowed to compete; and AJ Products, sponsor of the men's World Championship since 1989, said it will not sponsor next year's tournament because of Russia's participation. The IIHF's executive board began a two-day meeting on Monday with the Russia question as its main topic.Reuters — Finnish hockey body leads push to keep Russia out of World Championships (2 Nov 2026) · Reuters — Canada will not let Russians compete at ice hockey tournament, says Carney (3 Nov 2026)