The main sponsor of the men’s ice hockey world championship says it will “reassess” its backing for the tournament if Russia takes part. Skoda has been the main sponsor for more than 30 years and its stance puts more pressure on the International Ice Hockey Federation after a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling last week obliged the IIHF to lift its exclusion of Russian national teams. Almost half of the 16 nations in the men’s championship are refusing to play Russia. The Canadian government says it will not allow Russia to compete at the world junior championship there starting next month.
Hockey powers Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic will refuse to play against Russia at next year’s world championship, as a growing boycott movement across Europe now includes six of the 16 nations in the men’s tournament. The rift in the sport deepened as Sweden, the Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia and Denmark signed up to the boycott and a top sponsor threatened to walk away. Finland had been rallying other nations to refuse to play Russia. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled last week that the International Ice Hockey Federation must reinstate Russian teams, beginning with the world juniors starting next month in Canada.
The Finnish Ice Hockey Association says its national teams will not play against Russia in international tournaments as long as the war in Ukraine is ongoing. That stance by Finland and reportedly also Latvia comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled last week that the International Ice Hockey Federation must reinstate Russian teams beginning with the world juniors that begins in late December in western Canada. A message sent to the IIHF seeking comment and clarification on what Finland boycotting games against Russia would mean was not immediately returned.
Russia says CAS has ordered International Ice Hockey Federation to let Russian teams play its events
Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov says the Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled that Russian national teams must be allowed to play International Ice Hockey Federation events. Degtyaryov posted on social media app Telegram that CAS overturned a series of IIHF decisions which excluded Russia from events in the 2026-27 season including the men’s and women’s world championships. The IIHF has barred Russian teams from its world championships since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia also missed the Olympic ice hockey tournaments this year.