Russia appears very close to returning to international hockey tournaments after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled Friday that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) must allow the nation’s teams to participate in its competitions during the 2026-27 season.
A three-person CAS panel unanimously sided with the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF), which had appealed the IIHF’s decision earlier this year to extend Russia’s suspension for another season. The ruling represents a major development in Russia’s efforts to return to international sports following its exclusion after the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The IIHF had cited safety and security concerns as its reasoning for keeping Russian teams out of international competition. However, according to the court, the IIHF’s own Disciplinary Board had previously found that the available evidence was insufficient to establish the legal requirements for keeping Russian teams from participating.
“Only substantiated security concerns could outweigh athletes of a particular nationality to participate in competitions,” CAS said in its statement explaining the decision.
Russia’s sports minister, Mikhail Degtyarev, celebrated the ruling, describing it as a final decision that cannot be appealed.
“Under the court ruling, the International Ice Hockey Federation is required to ensure that Russian teams can participate in the relevant IIHF tournaments in the 2026-2027 season,” Degtyarev said on Telegram as translated via Google Translate.
The potential return could happen quickly, beginning at the 2027 World Junior Championship on December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Canada. Other upcoming IIHF tournaments include the Under-18 Women’s World Championship in January, the men’s Under-18 World Championship in April, and the men’s senior World Championship in May.
That latter tournament could create the biggest controversy surrounding the decision. Ukraine is already among the 16 countries qualified for the 2027 Men’s World Championship, and they were the last team to qualify. Adding Russia back into the fold could create an incredibly uncomfortable situation where it’d come at the expense of Ukraine, as the tournament’s groups would become uneven.
The IIHF, meanwhile, made clear that it was unhappy with the decision. In a statement, the organization expressed its “disappointment” with the ruling and pointed to the logistical challenges of reintegrating Russian teams into tournaments that are already deep into their preparation stages.
“The IIHF disagrees with this aspect of the ruling and maintains that its decisions were necessary to protect the safety and security of all participants and safeguard the integrity of its competitions,” the organization said. “While the IIHF respects the authority of CAS and will act in accordance with its ruling, the outcome does not remove the concerns that informed its assessments.”
Beyond those concerns, former TSN broadcaster Gord Miller raised several additional measures that will need to be addressed after the ruling. Those future issues include a potential IIHF appeal to the Supreme Court of Switzerland, visa-granting issues for Russian players entering host nations, likely boycotts by other participating countries, and Ukraine’s overall response and that of its athletes.
Several countries’ hockey governing bodies, including those from Finland, Germany, Czechia, and Austria, released statements condemning the ruling.
“The Finnish Ice Hockey Association respects the legal decision-making system of international sports, even though the outcome of the CAS ruling is the exact opposite of what the Association had hoped for,” Finland’s statement read.
Hockey Canada echoed similar sentiments. “Hockey Canada shares the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) disappointment with the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) decision today,” their statement said.
The IIHF also faces the joint problem of handling Belarusian team eligibility, as it has separated their participation in events from the review of Russian teams. While Belarus has been granted admission to several future youth tournaments, they are still barred from the 2027 Men’s World Championship and 2027 World Junior Championship.
From a Washington Capitals-related standpoint, Friday’s news particularly impacts captain Alex Ovechkin and wingers Ivan Miroshnichenko and Bogdan Trineyev, who have represented Russia at both the senior and junior levels. Russia’s return to the World Championship in May could give Ovechkin a chance to play in the final international tournament of his career, unless the Caps go deep into the NHL postseason.
The decision will likely also impact how the NHL and NHLPA handle their upcoming 2028 World Cup of Hockey. The league has previously said it will follow the IIHF’s lead on eligibility-related decisions, and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly already told TSN’s Pierre LeBrun that it will consider the CAS ruling.
“It’s obviously a relevant piece of information that will be part of all factors we will have to weigh in making our decision,” Daly said to LeBrun.
