Russia Returns to 2026-27 Hockey World Championships After CAS Ruling

Russia will compete in the 2026-27 International Ice Hockey Federation world championships after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned recent exclusion decisions on Friday. The CAS ruling mandates that Russian teams must be allowed to enter IIHF events, ending a ban that had taken effect following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The arbitral panel cited a lack of sufficient evidence to support the security concerns originally raised by the IIHF. The federation had previously barred Russian teams from its global tournaments, which also caused Russia to miss the Olympic hockey events earlier this year.

The IIHF expressed disappointment with the outcome but confirmed it would act in accordance with the decision. The federation maintains that its prior actions were necessary to protect participant safety and safeguard competition integrity, stating that the ruling does not remove the underlying concerns that informed its assessments.

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov noted that CAS recognized the demands of the Russian Hockey Federation on key points as justified. The ruling leaves open questions about whether Russia must play without national symbols or as a neutral team, as seen in other Olympic sports, and does not address other organizational consequences.

The decision presents an immediate challenge for IIHF President Franz Reindl. Germany will host the men's world championship next year, placing the host nation in the position of organizing the tournament with Russia back in the lineup.