Norway says the IIHF removed it from the 2027 World Juniors to make room for Russia

The unclear tenth participant of the tournament in Canada

Ahead of the 2027 World Junior Championship, which will be held in the Canadian cities of Edmonton and Red Deer starting December 26, it remains unclear who will be the tenth participant. The Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation (NIHF) said that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) notified it of its exclusion from the tournament in order to free up a spot for Russia. However, the IIHF has not publicly announced this decision, and Norway was still listed as a participant on the federation's website. This is reported by Deutsche Welle.

The CAS ruling and the IIHF's position

According to the outlet, Norway's exclusion was a response to last month's ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ordered the IIHF to admit Russia to international competitions. The junior world championship is the first tournament affected by this verdict. The IIHF suspended Russia and Belarus from international tournaments shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In a statement on Saturday, the federation said that it “is taking the necessary steps in accordance with the CAS decision” and is assessing the conditions needed to protect the tournaments, the organization's financial stability, and the future of international hockey.

Pushback: Canada and European federations

There is no certainty that Russia will actually play. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said last week: “As long as Russia and Belarus continue this illegal, unjustified war in Ukraine, none of those athletes will compete for their countries in Canada,” adding that at the junior championship “there will be no Russians.” Refusals to play matches against Russia at the tournament were also expressed by Finland, Sweden and Switzerland; the Swiss federation stated that its team will not face Russia. Several long-standing corporate sponsors have threatened to withdraw if Russia is admitted. According to NIHF Secretary General Petter Salsten, this gives hope that “the final word on our participation in Canada in December has not yet been said”; the federation is awaiting information from the IIHF.

Germany and the men's world championship

A similar situation is developing around the men's world championship in May, which is to be hosted by Germany. President of the German federation DEB Frank H. Lutz said he intends to hold the tournament and is “very optimistic,” but did not explain how the CAS requirement to admit Russia would be overcome, and previously did not rule out returning the hosting rights as a last resort. The government in Berlin, according to spokesman Stefan Cornelius, supports the DEB, but “given the boycotts that would follow Russia's return, this is practically impossible,” so options are being sought through dialogue. Foreign Ministry representative Martin Giese noted that issuing visas to the Russian team is complicated by existing restrictions: amid Russia's war against Ukraine “there can be no normality” — but he did not categorically rule out the possibility.

Munich's Olympic bid as a possible factor

The outlet also cites the suggestion that German officials are choosing their words carefully because of Munich's bid to host the Summer Olympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. The IOC recently lifted sanctions on Russian athletes and the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, opening the way for their return, and, according to this line of reasoning, might expect bidding committees such as the German DOSB to follow its course. Asked about the impact of the hockey dispute on Munich's chances, Cornelius replied that he does not want to “speculate about the consequences.” In the coming weeks, the IOC will decide whether Munich advances to the next stage of the bidding process.