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Denmark, Norway and Sweden announced they would refuse to play against Russia in the ice hockey world championships next year due to its war in Ukraine, following a similar announcement by neighbouring Finland.
Nordic Stance Against Russia
The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association released a statement on Tuesday declaring that Norway will not compete against Russia during the 2027 World Championships, citing the current situation and available information. The association stressed that its position remains firm that Russia ought to be barred from all international tournaments for the entire duration of the war in Ukraine, though Norway will proceed with its other group matches as planned. The Nordic countries have firmly supported Ukraine since the war began, and Russia has faced bans from International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) competitions ever since President Vladimir Putin initiated the invasion in February 2022.
Sweden’s governing body for the sport shared the exact same stance, explaining in a statement that the Swedish position is crystal clear and that it remains inconceivable for Russia to participate in international ice hockey while the war in Ukraine continues. The Swedish body confirmed that its national teams will not play matches against Russian national teams.
Sport Court Ruling and Tournament Logistics
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a ruling on October 30 mandating that Russia must be admitted back into the world championships following an appeal submitted by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. The 2027 world championships are scheduled to take place in Germany in May, but the tournament draw and scheduling have already been completed without Russia included. The IIHF expressed opposition to the CAS decision, noting that it generates significant practical implications.
Henrik Bach Nielsen, head of the Danish ice hockey federation, told news agency Ritzau that the sport cannot participate against Russia given the current circumstances without harming the integrity of ice hockey, warning that doing so would result in chaos.
Finnish Opposition and Host Threats
On Monday, Finland’s ice hockey federation stated it would utilize all possible means to prevent Russia from being reinstated at the world championships. Heikki Hietanen, president of the Finnish federation, explained that they are working to rally as many countries as possible into a united front to inform the IIHF that none of them will play against Russia under current conditions.
Additionally, the Finnish city of Turku announced on Monday that it would withdraw from hosting the junior ice hockey world championships in 2027-2028 if Russia is permitted to participate.
