The key facts

  • CAS overturned Russia's suspension from five tournaments, including the 2027 World Championships in Germany and Canada
  • The first tournament affected will be the World Junior Championship in Edmonton starting December 26
  • The IIHF and the German association DEB expressed disappointment and are assessing the consequences of the decision

The court ruling and its grounds

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Friday that it had overturned decisions by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) that excluded Russian teams from tournaments in the 2026/27 season, including the men's and women's World Championships. The court found the evidence insufficient to support the security concerns cited by the federation. CAS ordered the IIHF to admit Russia to five upcoming tournaments, including the men's World Championship in Germany in May and the women's in Canada in November 2027. This was reported by Deutsche Welle.

Which tournaments are affected

The first tournament affected by the ruling will be the World Junior Championship, which opens on December 26 in Edmonton. The Women's World Championship in Denmark, which begins on November 6, was not mentioned in the court's statement. The suspension had been in place since 2022, following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine; because of it, Russia also missed the Olympic hockey tournament in Milan this year.

Reactions from the parties

Russia's Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev welcomed the decision, writing on Telegram that CAS had 'recognized the demands of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation as justified on key points.' The IIHF expressed disappointment, stating that it 'maintains the position that its decisions were necessary to protect the safety of all participants and the integrity of competitions,' but will comply with the court's verdict.

Consequences for Germany as host

The German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) also expressed disappointment. Its president, Franz Reindl, said: 'Our position remains unchanged: we are against the return of Russian national teams to international hockey tournaments,' adding that the decision has 'fundamentally changed' the situation for Germany as host of the 2027 World Championship, since Russia's participation 'entails significant consequences in the security, political and economic spheres.' The IIHF separately pointed to 'serious practical consequences' for tournaments already at an advanced stage of preparation: the men's tournament will be held in Düsseldorf, Mannheim and Gelsenkirchen, and the group draw has already taken place.

Context

The ruling came shortly after a change in the federation's leadership: earlier this month, German Franz Reindl was elected IIHF president, replacing Frenchman Luc Tardif. Russia and the USSR are the second most decorated hockey nation, with 27 men's World Championship titles, behind only Canada (28).