Six nations refuse to play Russia in hockey world championships

Six of the sixteen nations set to compete in next year's men's world hockey championship have pledged not to play against Russia. Sweden, Norway, Latvia and Denmark joined Finland and the Czech Republic in the boycott on Tuesday. The action follows a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling last week that ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to reinstate Russian teams. The first tournament affected is the world juniors beginning in Canada on Dec. 26. The IIHF has not responded to the boycott announcements.

The Swedish hockey federation reversed its earlier stance, with its board deciding it would not face Russia but would play other tournament games. Federation head Anders Larsson said in a statement, "The Three Crowns will not play Russia in coming world championship tournaments." Norway announced its refusal to play Russia shortly before Sweden's statement. The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association said Russia should be excluded from all international championships while the war in Ukraine continues.

The Norwegian association cited player and staff safety as a key reason for its decision. "We believe that playing Russia under the current circumstances could expose our players and team staff to significant security risks," its statement said. Denmark's hockey federation chairman told the Ritzau news agency its teams would not play Russia. Latvia's federation reaffirmed its position not to compete against Russia or Belarus.

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Finland, the defending champion, initiated the boycott movement on Monday. Heikki Hietanen, chairman of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, said, "We are currently gathering as many countries as possible to form a common front to tell the IIHF that none of us will play against Russia in this situation." The Czech federation joined after initially planning to wait for a board meeting. Austria told The Associated Press it is considering joining the boycott.

The CAS ruling overturned the IIHF's ban on Russian teams, which was imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The IIHF said it was "disappointed" by the decision but respects the court's authority. The ruling clears Russia to enter all major tournaments, including the men's world championship scheduled for Germany in May 2027. The Ukrainian ice hockey federation said the security threats that led to the original suspension have only intensified.

Sponsors are also reacting to the potential return of Russian teams. Finnish tire company Nokian Tyres said it will end its championship sponsorship if Russia participates. Tiina Frazer, a senior vice president at the company, said, "Under the current circumstances, continuing the sponsorship if Russia participates would not be aligned with our values." Swedish furniture maker AJ Products, a sponsor since 1989, said it would ask for its logo to be removed if Russia plays.

Canada's government opposes Russia's return and says it will maintain restrictions on Russian athletes at federally funded events in the country. Hockey Canada confirmed the world junior championship does not receive federal funding. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the province will comply with the CAS ruling. The German Ice Hockey Federation said hosting the men's world championship with Russia involved would have significant security, political and economic consequences.

Other tournaments are also facing disruptions. The Finnish city of Turku said it will not co-host next year's world juniors if Russia takes part. The Czech federation, which is set to host the women's under-18 world championship in January, will consult its government about possibly denying entry to Russian players. The boycott movement resembles the situation in soccer in 2022, when FIFA successfully argued at CAS to exclude Russia from World Cup qualifying.

With files from The Globe and Mail, CBC News and The Kyiv Independent