{"id":211192,"date":"2026-11-10T13:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T10:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/211192\/"},"modified":"2026-11-10T13:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T10:36:12","slug":"russia-forces-its-way-back-in-world-hockey-governments-and-sponsors-could-block-belarus","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/211192\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia forces its way back in world hockey? Governments and sponsors could block Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, has lifted a ban on Russian ice hockey teams, prompting Belarus to consider similar legal action in a bid to return to international competitions. However, despite the court ruling, governments and national federations remain unwilling to engage with the aggressor states.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Russians on their way?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On October 30, CAS upheld an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) challenging the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) July decision to extend the ban imposed after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAS found that the IIHF’s arguments citing safety, security and other concerns were not supported by sufficient evidence. The court ordered<\/a> the international federation to allow Russia to participate in the following events:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 World Junior Championship, Canada, 26 December 2026 \u2013 5 January 2027<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 U18 Women\u2019s World Championship, Czech Republic, 8 \u2013 16 January 2027<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 U18 Men\u2019s World Championship, USA, 22 April \u2013 2 May 2027<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Men\u2019s World Championship, Germany, 14 \u2013 30 May 2027<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Women\u2019s World Championship, Canada, November 2027<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ruling concerns five men’s and women’s tournaments in the 2026\/27 season, but two are currently in the spotlight: the most prestigious competitions, the men’s adult and under-20 (U-20) world championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U-20 tournament is scheduled to take place in Canada from December 26 to January 5. Germany is set to host the senior World Championship from May 14 to 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus<\/strong> considers appealing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Minsk enthusiastically welcomed the CAS ruling. The Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation (BIHF) said it \u201cfully supported\u201d the arbitration court’s decision concerning Russia’s national teams, expressing hope that Belarus would soon follow suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn IIHF disciplinary committee decision on reinstating the rights of Belarus’ senior and junior national teams is also expected in the near future,\u201d the Belarusian federation said. \u201cToday’s ruling therefore gives us confidence in a positive outcome of the BIHF’s efforts to protect the interests of Belarusian hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sports ministry echoed the federation’s upbeat statement, while the foreign ministry went as far as to suggest that CAS had cleared not only Russian but also Belarusian teams to compete internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The optimism did not last long. On November 7, the IIHF confirmed that Belarusian national teams remain suspended. The organization’s council upheld sanctions against the men’s senior and junior teams and maintained the ban on their participation in the 2027 World Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pointing to Russia, BIHF head Alaksandar Bahdanovi\u010d accused the international federation of inconsistency. However, the IIHF had acted consistently, sending Minsk a clear message: if it wants the same treatment as Russia, it should follow Russia’s example and take its case to arbitration in Lausanne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BIHF vowed to \u201cdetermine specific legal steps, including the possibility of filing an appeal with CAS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IIHF complies, but Russia faces opposition elsewhere<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The international hockey federation has found itself in an extremely awkward position. On the one hand, the IIHF remains opposed to readmitting Russia and Belarus, as it has repeatedly stated. On the other, it cannot defy CAS without violating international sports law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the U-20 World Championship fast approaching, the IIHF had little choice but to comply. On November 8, it included Russia, dropping Norway, the lowest-ranked team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, national federations have come out against the inclusion of Russia and Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and Latvia have already announced that they will not play against Russian teams. That is exactly half of the 10 participants. Under the World Championship rules, teams refusing to play forfeit their games 5\u20130. Russia, however, welcomes this prospect, arguing that a win is a win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canada, the host country of the U-20 tournament, has its own leverage. Prime Minister Mark Carney said in early November that Russian hockey players would be denied visas, a sovereign government decision that even CAS cannot override. Moscow, however, has already come up with what it considers a definitive solution. Russian officials say players from North American leagues can represent the country’s junior team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of Russians in those leagues, so assembling a team should not be difficult. It may not be the strongest possible lineup, but that is beside the point. Determined to force its way back into international competition by any means, Russia appears prepared to do whatever it takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sponsors threaten boycott<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Minsk, officials are watching these developments with mounting concern. There is very little time left before the U-20 championship begins. Even if the BIHF files an appeal with CAS tomorrow morning, there is no guarantee that the court will agree to hear it within the next few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At present, the BIHF appears to have a strong case for securing a favorable arbitration ruling. But rather than focus on the junior tournament, it may be more realistic to set its sights on the senior World Championship. With six months to go, there should be enough time to prepare and follow the Russian example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is, however, another problem, perhaps an old one that has been forgotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine extends beyond the national federations of leading hockey countries, which are hardly likely to agree to play against aggressor states at the senior level either. Major global brands sponsoring the World Championship share that position. They have already reacted strongly to CAS’s controversial ruling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several companies that have worked with the IIHF for years have threatened to withdraw their support for the tournament in one form or another. They include Czech betting company Tipsport, Finnish tire manufacturer Nokian Tyres, Swedish furniture giant AJ Products, German sportswear maker Strauss and Czech automaker \u0160koda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This commercial backlash is a serious blow to the international federation. In Minsk, it also brings back memories of 2021. Five years ago, a determined boycott by Nivea, Liqui Moly and \u0160koda forced the IIHF to strip Belarus of the right to host the World Championship in response to the unprecedented crackdown that followed the 2020 rigged presidential election. Even intense lobbying by then-IIHF president Ren\u00e9 Fasel, a well-known supporter of Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and Vladimir Putin, failed to save the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these are not the only complications facing international hockey in the wake of the arbitration court’s October ruling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will Ukraine be sacrificed to make room for Russia and Belarus?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sixteen teams are scheduled to compete in the World Championship in Germany. Under the traditional format, they will be divided into two groups of eight for the preliminary round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the IIHF decides to admit Russia and Belarus, it will have to drop some teams, just as it did at the U-20 championship. Those at the bottom of the rankings would be the most likely to lose their places. The bitter irony is that this could include Ukraine, which has qualified for the elite division for the first time in 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dropping Ukraine to make room for Russia would be so outrageous that the IIHF appears ready to bend its own rules to avoid such a reputational disaster. No official announcement has been made, but former IIHF vice-president Kalervo Kummola recently said, citing senior sources, that such a cynical scenario was categorically out of the question. If so, there is only one solution: expand the tournament to accommodate all the teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By delivering a ruling that followed the letter but not the spirit of the law, CAS has sent shockwaves through international hockey. As a result, no one knows what will happen to the world’s major championships. Who will play and who will not? Who will refuse to face Russian and Belarusian teams, and who will agree to play them? And who will foot the bill if sponsors want nothing to do with this kind of realpolitik?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of questions but no answers. Meanwhile, Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian cities, killing civilians, destroying energy infrastructure and reducing residential buildings to rubble. \u0141uka\u0161enka is almost alone in claiming that the war will soon be over, but few appear convinced. A much more likely prospect is that we will witness some of the most controversial world championships in the history of modern hockey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Canada to bar Belarusian, Russian ice hockey players from junior tournament<\/h3>\n
November 4, Pozirk. Ice hockey players from Russia or Belarus will not be allowed to take part in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships to be held in Canada between 26 December and 5 January, Prime Minister Mark Carney told …<\/div>\n \n