Court orders ice hockey federation to readmit Russia

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 16:12 · Archive

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation's ban on Russian teams from international competitions. The ruling, announced on Friday following an in-person hearing at CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, orders the IIHF to allow Russia to participate in tournaments during the 2026-27 season.

Russia has been excluded from IIHF events since shortly after the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Earlier this year, the IIHF reviewed the ban and decided to maintain the exclusion. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation appealed that decision to CAS.

In its statement, CAS found that the IIHF's arguments citing safety, security and other concerns were not supported by sufficient evidence. The ruling specifically requires Russia to be allowed to compete in the Men's Ice Hockey World Championship in Germany in May 2026 and the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Canada in November 2027. The first affected tournament is the Men's World Junior Championship opening in Edmonton on 26 December.

The IIHF expressed disappointment with the ruling. "The IIHF disagrees with this aspect of the ruling and maintains that its decisions were necessary to protect the safety and security of all participants and safeguard the integrity of its competitions," the federation said in a statement. Germany's ice hockey association, the DEB, also opposed the decision, with chairman Frank Lutz stating: "Our position is unchanged: We reject the return of Russian national teams to international ice hockey tournaments."

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov welcomed the ruling on Telegram, saying CAS had recognised the Russian Hockey Federation's demands as justified. The CAS statement did not address whether Russia would be required to compete under restrictions such as playing without national symbols or as a neutral team, noting these issues were not part of the appeal.

Ukraine has qualified for the men's world championship in Germany, creating uncertainty about how the tournament will be organised with both nations competing. The ruling also comes as Russia has made broader efforts to return to international sport following exclusions imposed after the Ukraine invasion.

How it is being reported

• Russia wins legal bid to come in from the cold in international ice hockeyRussia’s controversial bid to be allowed back into global sport has made further inroads after it won a legal battle with the International Ice Hockey Federation. The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced today that it has upheld an appeal from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation against its ban from international competitions on safety and [...]City AM · 30 Oct, 15:56
• Russia back in ice hockey world championships after sport court rulingCourt of Arbitration for Sport overturned IIHF decisions that excluded Russia from events in the 2026-27 season.Al Jazeera · 30 Oct, 12:43
• Russia's international ice hockey ban overturnedThe Court of Arbitration for Sport overturns the ban on Russia by ice hockey's global governing body.BBC Sport · 30 Oct, 12:03
• IIHF ordered to allow Russia back into world championshipsThe Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled that Russian teams must be allowed to take part in international ice hockey tournaments. The IIHF had banned Russia following the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.DW News · 30 Oct, 10:57

In this story: Court of Arbitration for Sport · International Ice Hockey Federation · Russia · Ukraine · Germany · Canada · Mikhail Degtyaryov · Frank Lutz

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