Canada won’t let Russian players enter for ice hockey junior championship

Canadian officials announced Wednesday that Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials will be barred from entering Canada for ice hockey's World Junior Championship, effectively preventing their participation in the tournament scheduled for December 26 to January 5 in Alberta.

Government stance

Canada's Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden stated that Ottawa opposes Russian and Belarusian participation in international sport "as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine with Belarus's complicity." The immigration minister will take measures to prevent entry regardless of valid visa status.

International conflict

The decision comes despite a late October ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to admit Russian teams to five upcoming championships, including the World Junior Championship. The IIHF, which has barred Russia since 2022, expressed disagreement with the decision.

Several European countries including Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republic, Latvia, and Finland have also announced their teams will not play against Russia at next year's World Championships in Germany. The Finnish city of Turku even threatened to drop its hosting duties for the 2028 World Junior Championship.

Belarus's team will not participate following a separate IIHF decision. Canada has previously stated it would only allow neutral participation by individual athletes, not teams.