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The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to allow Russia’s national teams back into international tournaments immediately. The fields for the 2027 events were set without Russia, and Ukraine—returning to the men’s World Championship for the first time in 20 years—could be displaced if the IIHF keeps the 16-team format. The IIHF says it disagrees with the ruling but will comply; how it will do so, and whether Russian players can enter host countries, remain unresolved.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to let Russia’s national teams compete in international tournaments immediately, putting already-set 2027 tournament lineups in doubt. If Russia is added to the men’s World Championship while the event retains its 16-team format, Ukraine could lose its place just as it returns to the tournament for the first time in 20 years.
The order follows Russia’s successful challenge to the IIHF’s decision to keep its teams out of competition. The federation’s leadership had upheld the exclusion for the 2026–27 season, citing “ongoing safety, security, and sporting integrity concerns.” The CAS ruling covers five events: the men’s World Junior Championship in Canada, women’s and men’s under-18 championships in Czechia and the United States, the men’s World Championship in Germany, and the women’s World Championship in Canada.
The immediate problem is that organizers planned these tournaments without Russia. According to the report, four of the five fields are confirmed, and full schedules have been published for those events; tickets are already on sale for the World Junior and under-18 championships. The IIHF may have to add Russia to existing fields or remove another team. Either approach could affect schedules, teams and ticket holders.
For the men’s World Championship, Ukraine is the team most directly exposed to a place-for-place change. The report identifies it as the lowest-ranked team in the field and says it qualified for the event for the first time in two decades. Russia’s participation is also not a straightforward matter of adding a team: visas and entry permissions may be obstacles, and Russia does not currently have a fully functioning senior national team, according to the report.
Ukraine’s Return Faces a Roster Threat
The ruling puts a milestone for Ukrainian hockey at risk before the tournament begins. Ukraine earned its return through qualification, but if the IIHF interprets the order by preserving the existing 16-team structure, the report says Ukraine could be displaced to make room for Russia. The CAS decision does not itself specify how the IIHF must alter the tournament field.
The consequences could extend beyond one team. Changing a field after schedules and ticket sales are in place could force organizers to revise fixtures, venue plans and travel arrangements. Adding a team would also require a practical plan for extra games; replacing one could leave affected teams and ticket holders seeking answers. These are potential complications, not confirmed outcomes: the IIHF has not yet announced the format it will use.
Host-country restrictions add another layer. Russia’s teams may be ordered back into competition by the CAS ruling, but that does not guarantee athletes can enter Canada, Czechia, Germany or the United States. The dispute therefore concerns both sports eligibility and the ability to stage the events as planned.
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From Suspension to CAS Appeal
Russia’s national teams were barred from international hockey after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The exclusions also affected Russian teams in other sports, including soccer and basketball. In May 2026, the IIHF disciplinary committee directed federation leadership to reconsider the ban for the 2026–27 season. Leadership kept it in place, citing safety, security and sporting-integrity concerns; Russia then challenged that decision at CAS.
The ruling arrives after tournament preparations had moved forward without Russia. The report says four events already have confirmed teams and published schedules, while the women’s World Championship is the exception. The listed events run from the World Junior Championship in late December 2026 and early January 2027 to the women’s World Championship in November 2027. The men’s World Championship, scheduled for May 14–30, 2027, in Germany, is the event most directly linked to Ukraine’s qualifying place.
Russia also lacks a recent senior national-team track record. Its senior side last played in the Channel One Cup in 2022. After head coach Alexey Zhamnov’s contract was not renewed, no replacement was appointed, according to the report. A team called “Russia 25”, led by Roman Rotenberg, played against Belarus and Kazakhstan; the Russian Ice Hockey Federation has described that team as a development project, not a substitute for a fully functioning national team.
““We’re looking at a scenario in which we would give up the world championship. I’m optimistic, but I can’t guarantee 100% that the championship will take place in Germany in May 2027.””
— Frank Lutz, chief executive of the German Ice Hockey Federation
How the IIHF Will Apply the Order
The IIHF has not announced whether it will add Russia to existing fields, alter tournament formats, or remove another team. The federation said details on implementation and arrangements for affected competitions would follow “in due course.” It can still challenge the CAS ruling in Switzerland’s Supreme Court, but the report says it is not clear whether it will do so.
Russia’s practical ability to compete is also unsettled. The report says visa or entry restrictions may affect athletes: Canada has signaled restrictions for some events it hosts, and Czechia has a law barring Russian citizens from sporting events. German hockey officials have raised the possibility of relinquishing the men’s championship hosting role if Russia is admitted, but no withdrawal has been confirmed. The status and readiness of Russia’s senior team, and whether players can obtain passports and travel documents in time, are also unclear.
It is not yet known whether Ukraine will lose its place, whether any host will refuse to stage an event, or what remedy ticket holders might have if schedules or fields change. Those outcomes depend on decisions not yet announced.
IIHF Council Faces Scheduling Decisions
The IIHF Council was scheduled to meet on November 2–3, 2026, and the report says it may make decisions about implementing the ruling at that meeting. The federation has said it will communicate further information in due course. Any decision will need to address team eligibility alongside tournament formats, schedules and host-country constraints.
Organizers and participating federations will also need clarity before the competitions begin. The first listed event, the men’s World Junior Championship in Canada, is scheduled for December 26, 2026, to January 5, 2027. The men’s World Championship in Germany is set for May 14–30, 2027. Until the IIHF announces its approach—and any appeal or host-country response is known—Ukraine’s place and Russia’s participation remain unsettled.
Key Questions
What did CAS order the IIHF to do?
CAS ordered the IIHF to allow Russia’s national teams to compete immediately in international tournaments covered by the ruling. The IIHF has said it disagrees with the decision but recognizes CAS’s authority and will comply.Could Ukraine be removed from the 2027 men’s World Championship?
It is a possibility, not a confirmed decision. The report says Ukraine is the lowest-ranked team in the 16-team field, so it could be displaced if the IIHF admits Russia while keeping the existing format.Can Russian teams definitely enter the host countries?
That is unclear. The report cites possible restrictions in Canada and a Czech law barring Russian citizens from sporting events. It also says German officials have discussed giving up the men’s championship hosting role if Russia is admitted.When will the IIHF decide what happens to the tournament fields?
The IIHF has not published an implementation plan. Its Council was scheduled to meet on November 2–3, 2026, and the federation said further information would be communicated in due course.Does Russia have a fully functioning senior national team?
According to the report, Russia’s senior team last played in 2022, and no replacement head coach was appointed after Alexey Zhamnov’s contract ended. The “Russia 25” team has been described by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation as a development project, not a substitute for a fully functioning senior national team.Source: meduza.io
