Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that Russia will not be allowed to play at the upcoming world junior hockey tournament, adding to a growing boycott by the world's hockey powers ahead of the men's tournament next year in Germany. Carney said Russia and Belarus are supporting the war in Ukraine and that, as long as it continues, none of their athletes will compete for their countries in Canada.
Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia and Denmark have all announced they will boycott games against Russia while the war in Ukraine is ongoing. Finland had rallied other nations to refuse to play Russia, and a top sponsor of next year's world championships has threatened to walk away. Austria is weighing whether to join the boycott, and Germany is unsure about hosting the men's championship.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled last week that the International Ice Hockey Federation must reinstate Russian teams, beginning with the world juniors. Russia has been excluded since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The IIHF had no immediate reaction to the boycotts.
Norway's federation said playing Russia could expose its players and staff to significant security risks. Its general secretary warned that if Russia is added to the world juniors, Norway could be removed from the tournament, as it was the last team to qualify. The growing boycott resembles the situation in soccer in 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing