Ice hockey: Norway says it's been kicked out of World Juniors in favor of Russia

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has informed the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association (NIHF) that it will be removed from the 2027 World Junior Championship to make room for Russia. The announcement comes just weeks before the tournament is scheduled to begin in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, on December 26.

The move, which has not yet been publicly announced by the IIHF, appears to be a response to a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling from last month. That ruling ordered the IIHF to allow Russia to return to international play.

The World Juniors is the first major international tournament to be affected by the CAS decision. The IIHF had barred Russia and Belarus from international play shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Political and diplomatic obstacles

While the IIHF has taken steps to comply with the CAS ruling, it faces significant political hurdles. The Canadian government has firmly ruled out the possibility of a Russian team competing in Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Russians will not be at the World Juniors, a pledge that, combined with the stated refusal of Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and other nations to face Russia, has given the NIHF hope that its team could still play.

The NIHF General Secretary Petter Salsten expressed cautious optimism that the last word on the issue has not been said. The association is awaiting further information from the IIHF in the coming days.

German hosting dilemma

The crisis extends beyond the World Juniors to the German hosts of the Men's Ice Hockey World Championship next May. The German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) is in discussions with the Berlin government and the IIHF on how to proceed.

DEB chairman Frank H. Lutz acknowledged the IIHF's requirement to include Russia but reiterated his organization's rejection of the court ruling. He provided no indication as to how this obstacle could be overcome.

A German government spokesman stated that handing back the hosting rights was a possibility only as a last resort, given the boycotts that would follow Russia's readmission.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman indicated that issuing visas to a Russian team would be difficult under current restrictions, though he did not categorically rule it out.

The German government supports the DEB's efforts to find a solution through dialogue, rather than cancelling the tournament.

Olympic bid considerations

It has been suggested that the German government is choosing its words carefully out of concern for Munich's chances in its bid to host the Summer Olympics in 2036, 2040, or 2044.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently lifted sanctions on Russian athletes and the Russian National Olympic Committee, opening the door for their return to competition.

The thinking is that the IOC would expect national Olympic committees bidding to host the Games, like the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), to follow its lead.

German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius declined to speculate on the implications of the hockey debate for Munich's Olympic bid.

With the IOC set to decide in the next few weeks whether Munich advances to the next stage of the process, the issue could hardly have come up at a more inopportune time for the DOSB.