The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced that the impact of the recent decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to reinstate Russia in international competitions has been significantly underestimated.
This federation has emphasized its disagreement with this decision and stated that it is in discussions with member national associations, organizing committees, host officials, and other key stakeholders to determine the best way forward.
Concerns of Host Countries
This statement was released after two days of discussions at the IIHF Council aimed at exploring the way forward following the CAS decision. This decision was unexpectedly raised for the international ice hockey community.
The two organizing committees referred to in this statement are those of Canada and Germany. Canada is set to host the IIHF World Junior Championships next month, and Germany will host the IIHF Men's World Championships next May. Both countries are strong supporters of Ukraine in its war with Russia and have expressed serious concerns about holding their upcoming competitions following the CAS ruling.
Political and Sports Opposition
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that he will not allow Russian athletes to participate in the World Junior Championships in Alberta. He emphasized that as long as the war continues, no Russian athletes can compete for their country in Canada.
Frank Lutz, president of the German Ice Hockey Federation, also mentioned in a television interview that following the CAS decision, the DEB must consider the option of revoking the hosting rights for these competitions. He is set to raise this issue with government officials in Berlin.
Meanwhile, the Finnish Ice Hockey Federation, the men's world champion, is leading an effort to boycott future IIHF competitions if Russia is allowed to compete. A delegation from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the Czech Republic has also joined this action, stating that they will not compete against Russia under the current circumstances.
IIHF sponsors have also been affected by this decision. The automotive company Škoda, which has been a major sponsor of the Men's World Championships for over three decades, announced that it will reassess its position if Russia participates.
Given the IIHF Council's failure to agree on continuing negotiations on Monday and Tuesday, the federation's president, Franz Reindl, announced that they will reconvene for further discussions on Thursday.
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