The key facts

  • Mark Carney announced that Russian hockey players will not take part in the World Junior Championship in Canada
  • Maria Zakharova pointed to paragraph 87 of the IIHF regulations on the host country's obligation to assist in issuing visas
  • On October 30, CAS granted the Russian Ice Hockey Federation's appeal and overturned the national team's suspension; the IIHF warned of difficulties in implementing the decision

Foreign Ministry statement following Ottawa's decision

Canada's refusal to issue visas to Russian hockey players is a gross violation of the Olympic Charter, said Maria Zakharova, official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, reports Gazeta.Ru citing the ministry's website. According to her, paragraph 5 of the Charter requires sports federations to adhere to the principles of political neutrality and to remain free from any 'external influence', including from national governments.

Reference to the IIHF regulations

In the published response from Zakharova, cited by Life.ru, it is stated that Mark Carney's government 'publicly declares its intention to demonstratively violate the regulations for holding international tournaments of the International Ice Hockey Federation'. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson recalled paragraph 87 of the IIHF regulations: the host country undertakes to provide the necessary assistance to all participating teams in obtaining entry visas.

Canada's position and tournament dates

The statement was prompted by the position of the Canadian authorities, who announced their intention not to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes to competitions under national symbols. On the night of November 4, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney separately stated that the Russian national team will not play at the World Junior Championship, which will be held from December 26, 2026 to January 5, 2027 in Edmonton and Red Deer.

Arbitration court ruling

Ottawa's statement came a few days after the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport: On October 30, it fully granted the appeal of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) decision to suspend Russia, obliging it to admit Russian national teams to international tournaments of the 2026/27 season. The IIHF expressed disagreement with the verdict and warned of difficulties in implementing it, including visa issues, security arrangements and the organization of competitions; the federation emphasized that it would urgently assess the steps and time needed to comply with the ruling. Canada had previously already spoken out against the return of the Russian national hockey team to international competitions.