Norway dropped from 2027 junior hockey championship to make room for Russia

The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association (NIHF) said on Nov. 8 that its team was dropped to a lower division at the 2027 World Junior Hockey Championship after news of Russia's reintegration into the tournament.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) paved the way for Russia's return to international ice hockey competitions after its Oct. 30 ruling made the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) exclusion of Russian athletes unlawful.

In the new layout at the championship, which is due to take place in Canada from Dec. 26, 2026, to Jan. 5, 2027, Russia will place tenth. As the lowest-ranked team, Norway will move down to Division 1A.

NIHF Secretary General Petter Salsten said in the association's statement: "This clearly shows all the practical challenges and immediate consequences for everyone involved when countries are to be reinstated immediately."

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said during a press conference that "Russians will not be there" for the World Junior Hockey Championship, with the government later adding that its immigration minister, Lena Metlege Diab, "will exercise her authorities… to individually assess and prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols."

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the decision and called for a boycott of Russia's participation in the championship. "International sports bureaucrats who make decisions about the return of Russians to international competitions are staining themselves with blood and becoming accomplices in Russian war crimes," he said on Nov. 8.

The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF) said that "in view of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the current circumstances, the Swiss U20 national team will not compete against the Russian U20 national team at the upcoming World Championship."

National hockey federations in Czechia, Finland, Canada, and elsewhere have sided with Ukraine. Germany, however, has dropped threats to withdraw from hosting the championship tournament.

The IIHF said in a statement that it "continues to disagree" with the CAS's decision regarding Russian participation, but is "exploring all available avenues… to identify a constructive way forward that serves the interests of global ice hockey."

Russian and Belarusian teams have been excluded from IIHF competitions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Belarus supported the war.

Sources

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