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Several European nations have threatened to boycott matches against Russia after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) decision to exclude Russian teams from international competitions.
Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, and the Czech Republic have all indicated that their national teams will refuse to play Russia at the 2027 men's Ice Hockey World Championship, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine and concerns surrounding player and staff safety.
Russia has been excluded from international ice hockey since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, CAS ruled that the IIHF had not provided sufficient evidence to justify the ban on security grounds.
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The decision has created uncertainty ahead of the 2027 tournament, which will take place in Germany from May 14 to 30, with the opening match scheduled for May 13.
The six countries have indicated they would continue playing their other scheduled fixtures rather than withdraw from the entire competition, leaving the IIHF facing questions over how it would handle potential forfeits and the tournament format.
Newsweek contacted USA Hockey via email on Wednesday for comment and awaits a response.
Flourish map created by Newsweek.
Russia Welcomes Decision As Opposition Grows
Russian officials have also threatened action over the boycotts. Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said on November 3 that Russia would submit evidence of the planned protests to the International Olympic Committee, accusing the countries involved of undermining international sport.
He also warned that countries hosting tournaments involving Russian teams could risk losing those events if they continued to oppose their participation.
However, Degtyarev welcomed the recent ruling, describing it as an end to discrimination in international ice hockey.
"Russia is returning to world hockey. This place rightfully belongs to us, and discrimination in hockey has been brought to an end," Degtyarev told Russian state television channel Vesti.
The IIHF, meanwhile, has expressed disappointment with the CAS decision, maintaining that its previous exclusion was necessary to protect the safety and security of participants.
Canada has taken a separate stance, with Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing that Russian and Belarusian players will be barred from next month's World Junior Championship in Alberta.
Austria told The Associated Press it is considering joining the six countries threatening to boycott matches against Russia, while Germany has expressed uncertainty over hosting the men's championship.
Wider Sporting Sanctions Against Russia
The controversy comes amid growing divisions across international sport over Russia's participation in competitions, with governing bodies taking increasingly different approaches to Russia's participation following the invasion of Ukraine.
In football, Russia's senior national teams and professional clubs remain suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions. The men's team has consequently missed the 2022 and 2026 World Cups and Euro 2024.
Restrictions have eased slightly at youth level, with FIFA opening the door to under-15 participation in 2026. UEFA, however, abandoned plans to readmit Russian under-17 teams in 2023 following opposition from member associations.
Other sports have moved further toward reinstatement.
World Aquatics has lifted restrictions on senior Russian and Belarusian athletes, allowing them to compete under their national flags and with their national anthems, subject to certain conditions.
The International Judo Federation lifted its restrictions on Russian athletes in November 2025, allowing them to compete under their national flag. The International Paralympic Committee also lifted its suspensions of Russia and Belarus, paving the way for athletes from both countries to compete at the 2026 Winter Paralympics.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and James Debens
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