Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has ruled out Russia’s participation in the under-20 ice hockey World Championship scheduled to take place in Canada at the end of the year. He said athletes from Russia and Belarus would not represent their countries in Canada while the two nations supported the war against Ukraine.
Asked specifically about the junior tournament, Carney said Russia would not be there. His position puts Canada at odds with a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that approved the return of Russian teams to international ice hockey competitions.
The championship is scheduled to run from December 26 to January 5, 2027, in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. Germany is among the ten listed participants; Russia is not. A newly elected German federation president said the governing body and the event organizer had not yet received an official statement from the Canadian government.
Several national hockey federations have also said they would not play against Russia, including those of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Latvia. The Czech federation president has backed a boycott. Turku, Finland, has said it would withdraw as a co-host of the 2027–28 under-20 championship if Russia takes part.
Russia has been excluded from international tournaments and world championships by the International Ice Hockey Federation since February 2022. A separate senior men’s World Championship is scheduled for Düsseldorf and Mannheim from May 13 to 30, 2027. Russia would be eligible following the sports court’s decision, while the German Ice Hockey Federation is reviewing whether it can host the event and has also considered returning the hosting rights.
Sources: Der Spiegel.