Canada Keeps Russia Out of 2027 Junior Hockey as Teams Balk at Playing it
WHO:
Fox News - Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said, “discrimination in hockey has been brought to an end,” and that Russia’s place “rightfully belongs to us.”
Euronews.com - Twenty-one members of the European Parliament called for sanctions and visa restrictions against Russia following the CAS ruling.
Euronews.com - Finnish Ice Hockey Federation chair Heikki Hietanen said Finland aimed to coordinate a joint position telling the IIHF that “none of us will play against Russia” in the current situation.
Euronews.com - European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova said federations and member states must comply with EU sanctions and restrictive measures.
Fox News - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Hockey Canada said Russian athletes would not be allowed to represent Russia at the 2027 World Junior Championship in Alberta.
Euronews.com - Germany’s ice hockey federation (DEB) chair Frank H. Lutz said Germany rejected the return of Russian national teams to international tournaments.
Euronews.com - Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Denmark and Sweden said they would not play Russia at the 2027 World Championship; Austria was considering joining them.
Euronews.com - Finnish Ice Hockey Federation chair Heikki Hietanen said Finland was coordinating a joint position among countries.
Euronews.com - Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Russian athletes would not be welcome in Finland if Russia continued its war and that she would inform EU colleagues of plans to restrict their access to the Schengen area.
Euronews.com - Czech Interior Minister Lubomir Metnar said a decree banning short-term visas for Russian citizens remained in force.
Euronews.com - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia’s return to international sport lacked justification while the war continued.
WHAT:
Euronews.com - The European Commission said the European Council had decided there should be no normalisation until a just and lasting peace was established in Ukraine.
Euronews.com - The Commission said it did not support Russian anthems, symbols or flags at European sporting events.
Euronews.com - Ukrainian sports facilities have been destroyed by Russian strikes, and Ukrainian athletes have been killed.
Fox News - Carney said, “the Russians will not be there” at the World Juniors, citing Russia and Belarus’s support for the war in Ukraine.
Fox News - Hockey Canada thanked the Canadian government for its position against Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials competing under their national symbols in sporting events on Canadian soil. It said it would discuss next steps with its board.
Euronews.com - Germany was considering withdrawing as host of the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship after federations said they would refuse to play Russia.
Fox News - Russia’s national teams were cleared to compete by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)’s exclusion ruling. The IIHF said it disagreed but would comply.
Euronews.com - CAS’s ruling covered Russian national teams of all age groups but did not apply to the Women’s World Championship in Denmark, which was to proceed without Russia.
Euronews.com - AJ Products and Nokian Tyres said they would withdraw or end sponsorship if Russia competed. Fox News reported STRAUSS threatened to withdraw sponsorship and forgo tournament logo exposure.
Euronews.com - The European Commission said sport should not normalize Russian or Belarusian participation during the war and opposed Russian anthems, symbols and flags at European sporting events.
WHERE:
Fox News - The World Junior Championship is scheduled to take place in Alberta, Canada.
Euronews.com - The 2027 World Championship is scheduled for Germany; the Women’s World Championship is in Denmark.
WHEN:
Fox News - The World Juniors is scheduled for next month, according to the article; Euronews.com says it will be held from late December.
Euronews.com - The 2027 World Championship is scheduled for May.
WHY:
Euronews.com - The Commission said sport should not serve as propaganda and that normalising Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation during the war was not something it supported.
Euronews.com - Sybiha said reinstating Russian hockey players would give Moscow international legitimacy.
Euronews.com - Lutz said Russian participation could create serious security, political and economic consequences for Germany as host.
Fox News - CAS cited insufficient evidence for the IIHF’s security concerns; the IIHF and Ukraine’s hockey federation disputed the decision, saying threats persisted amid the war.
HOW:
Euronews.com - The IIHF executive body began a two-day meeting to address the CAS ruling.
Euronews.com - Metnar said the CAS ruling did not require the Czech Republic to issue visas to Russian nationals.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared Russian hockey teams to compete, overturning their exclusion. Canada barred Russia from the World Juniors, while six European nations vowed not to play Russia. The European Commission opposed Russian symbols at sporting events, as Germany weighed withdrawing as host.