A member of the IIHF Council hoped that Russia itself will refuse to participate in the World Cup
The head of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation and IIHF board member Andres Larsson said that “it would be desirable” that the Russians did not come to the tournament themselves
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) hopes that the Russian team will voluntarily refuse to participate in the World Cup. This was stated by the head of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation and IIHF board member Andres Larsson, quoted by Iltalehti.
“At the moment, I do not believe that any solutions are impossible. It is important to try to find different ways to continue the work. Of course, it would be desirable that they did not come, Larsson said.
Asked what would cause Russia to suddenly withdraw from the tournament, Larsson said: "It's hard to say, they need to be asked about it.".
On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered the IIHF to allow Russian teams to international competitions, the federation must now ensure the participation of Russian teams in the relevant IIHF tournaments in the 2026/27 season. At the end of the year, the World Youth Championship will be held in Canada, in May 2027 - in Germany the adult World Cup.
The IIHF has not yet decided how to implement the CAS decision on Russia’s admission. It said it was in dialogue with all affected national federations, including the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, to find a constructive path that would meet the interests of world hockey. Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Finland, Denmark and the Czech Republic have already announced that they will not play against Russia. In addition, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the Russians “definitely” will be denied visas for the youth world Cup.
