Hockey court orders Russia back into world championship mix

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to allow Russian teams to compete in the 2026-27 men's and women's world championships. The ruling, issued Friday, reverses the governing body's decision to exclude Russia from these specific events.

CAS stated that the IIHF did not provide enough evidence to support its security concerns. The panel noted that its decision did not determine whether Russian athletes must compete as a neutral team without national symbols. It also left other organizational details for the federation to resolve.

The IIHF said it was disappointed with the outcome. The federation maintained that its original ban was necessary to protect player safety and competition integrity. A statement released by the group noted that while it respects the court's authority, the underlying concerns remain.

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov posted on Telegram that the ruling justified the demands of the Russian Hockey Federation. Russia has been barred from IIHF world championships since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The national teams also missed the Olympic hockey tournaments earlier this year.

New IIHF President Franz Reindl now faces the immediate task of integrating Russian teams. Germany, Reindl's home country, will host the men's world championship next year.

The IIHF previously indicated it would review Russian participation on an event-by-event basis. The current ban on Russia and Belarus in hockey tournaments remains in effect until at least May 2026.