IIHF tries to include the Russian team in the MCM-27 in Canada, not knowing how to do it

The crisis in world hockey caused by the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on October 30, which obliged the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow all Russian teams to compete in the 2026-2027 season, continues to grow. In particular, due to the political demarches of several countries, there was a serious organizational and legal conflict on the eve of the World Youth Championships (MCM-27), which should be held in Edmonton and Red Deer in Canada from December 26, 2026 to January 5, 2027, and in which, according to the CAS decision, the Russian youth team should play.

Unable to come to any decision during the four-day meeting of its own Council, the IIHF on the evening of November 7 published another vague statement on its website. In which he reiterated his disagreement with the CAS decision, which, however, was not. We have to do it. “We are looking at what conditions must be met to protect our championships, protect the organisation’s financial stability and ensure the long-term future of international hockey.”

responsibility for the preservation of international competitions and the protection of sport in general. We are exploring all available opportunities, including open discussions with all affected national federations, including the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, to determine a constructive path forward that serves the interests of global ice hockey. Of course, one could speculate about whom the IIHF is going to defend world hockey from, because at the moment, judging by the development of the situation, it is its worst enemy, but after this statement there were several more important events.

On the evening of November 7, the IIHF notified the Swiss and Norwegian Ice Hockey Federations of the changes in the MCM-27 schedule. Norwegian juniors were excluded from the elite group of the tournament, putting Russian youth in their place, and the Swiss were told that they would play on December 27 against the Russians, not the Norwegians.

The Swiss Hockey Federation was the first to respond. Representatives of the once neutral and peaceful country officially stated that they will not play against the Russian team, but they do not refuse to participate in the World Cup-27. This is “neither peace nor war,” as Leon Trotsky once imagined.

On the morning of November 8, an official statement was made by the Norwegians. In the new system of MCM-27 in Canada, Russia took tenth place. Norway, the lowest-ranked team, will be transferred to Division 1A.

We are aware of the current state of affairs and will expect further information from the IIHF in the coming days. We made it clear earlier that Russia should not participate in international competitions. The situation remains unclear. Canada has made it clear that Russian players will not be issued visas for the championship, and several participating countries have said they do not want to meet with Russia. It is encouraging that a final decision on our participation in the World Cup in Canada in December has not yet been made, said NIHF Secretary General Petter Salsten. It is noteworthy that on the official website of the international federation, there have been no changes in the lists of participants of the World Cup-27 and the schedule of matches, although only a month and a half remain before its start.

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Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov in comments to the journalist “Vesti” Pavel Zarubin described the situation in world hockey as a dead end, noting that the international Federation itself recognizes the uncertainty of what is happening, and stressed the need to continue patient work.

Thus, at the moment, the question of how the admission of the Russian youth team will be implemented in the face of the declared visa restrictions from Canada and threats of boycott from a number of European federations remains open. The final decision on the format of the team’s participation in the tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer has not yet been made by either side of the process.