The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on 30 October 2026 that Russian ice hockey teams may immediately resume taking part in championships of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The federation disagrees with the verdict but stated that it will abide by it.[1][2] The IIHF excluded Russia from its competitions in February 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, and most recently extended the ban for safety reasons in January 2026, after which Russia appealed to CAS; the hearing took place a week before the ruling.[2] According to a press release, the CAS panel found that the IIHF's arguments concerning safety and security were not backed by sufficient evidence. The ruling did not address whether Russian teams would play under the Russian flag or under a neutral one.[1]
The Minister for Sport, Prevention and Health, Boris Šťastný (Motoristé), announced, according to the server Echo24, that he would send an official protest to the court. He stated that he has long opposed Russian athletes competing in international competitions under the Russian flag, with Russian symbols and the Russian national anthem, for as long as Russian aggression against Ukraine continues.[2]
The ruling was also criticised by the Czech Ice Hockey Association. Its secretary general, Jan Černý, said that the federation's existing position remains unchanged by the ruling and that the Czech Republic does not agree with Russia's participation in IIHF tournaments while the war continues.[2] The chairman of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, Heikki Hietanen, called the ruling incomprehensible and said that, in his view, conditions do not currently exist for the participation of either Russia or Belarus in international hockey events.[2] The IIHF stated that the verdict does not dispel its concerns and has serious practical consequences for tournaments whose preparations are already well advanced.[2] According to Echo24, under the CAS ruling Russian women's hockey players could also appear in January at the Under-18 Women's World Championship in Ostrava-Poruba.[2] Under the ruling, Russian teams are to appear at the Under-20 World Championship in Canada around the turn of 2026 and 2027, at the Under-18 Women's World Championship in Ostrava-Poruba in January 2027, and at the Men's World Championship in Germany in 2027. The chairman of the board of the German Ice Hockey Federation, Frank H. Lutz, stated: \"Russia's admission has considerable security, political and economic consequences for us as hosts.\"[2]
“Russia's admission has considerable security, political and economic consequences for us as hosts.\”
Sources
- Novinky.cz — 30 October 2026
- Echo24 — 30 October 2026