Medvedev is skeptical about the admission of Russian hockey players after the CAS decision

Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev said he does not share the enthusiasm over the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport obliging the IIHF to admit Russian national teams to the 2026/27 season. The trigger was remarks by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney about refusing visas for the World Junior Championship.

Otabek YusupovFirst published on tafs uz 5 November 2026 at 15:002 min read

The key facts

On October 30, CAS obliged the IIHF to admit Russian national teams to competitions of the 2026/27 season
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that visas for Russian hockey players for the World Junior Championship will not be issued
Medvedev called the participation of Russians under such treatment 'constant nerve-wracking stress'

Medvedev did not share the enthusiasm over the CAS decision

Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev said he does not share the 'tender delight' over the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to return Russian hockey players to international tournaments. He stated his position in his official channel on MAX (republished by Life.ru and Gazeta.Ru). 'With such a swinish attitude toward our country and our peopleas demonstrated by the Canadian scoundrel Carney, our athletes' performance will be nothing but constant nerve-wracking stress,' Medvedev wrote.

The essence of the conflict: a court ruling against Ottawa's position

On October 30, CAS fully granted the appeal of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and obliged the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to admit Russian national teams to international competitions of the 2026/27 season, overturning the suspension decision. However, the IIHF warned of serious difficulties with the return of the teams: visa restrictions, security issues, and the need to change already approved tournament plans. These difficulties have already manifested themselves concretely: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Russian players will not be granted visas to participate in the World Junior Championship, which will be held from December 26, 2026 to January 5, 2027 in Edmonton and Red Deer. According to Carney, Ottawa makes decisions on restrictions independently, regardless of the position of other states.

Moscow's reaction

Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova called Canada's refusal to issue visas to Russian hockey players a gross violation of the Olympic Charter. The Foreign Ministry had earlier also condemned Ottawa's decision on visas. Medvedev, for his part, believes it is right to wait for a complete change in the situation, 'when our enemies will humbly beg for Russia's return to professional sport.' 'I am confident that such a time will come soon, because Russia is a great sporting power, and besides, the international sports federations and organizers of major competitions are often short of money,' he concluded.