Canada Bars Russian Players from World Junior Ice Hockey Championship Amid Ukraine War

Canada has announced it will deny entry to Russian athletes and officials for the upcoming World Junior Championship in Alberta, effectively excluding them from the tournament scheduled from December 26 to January 5. This decision comes weeks before the event is set to begin.

Adam van Koeverden, Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport, stated on Wednesday that Ottawa opposes the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sports as long as Russia's war in Ukraine continues with Belarus's complicity. The minister responsible for immigration, refugees, and citizenship confirmed that measures will be taken to individually assess and prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada, irrespective of any existing visas.

Hockey Canada has expressed its support for the government's stance. This development follows a recent decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow Russian teams into five upcoming championships, starting with the World Junior Championship.

The IIHF, which had previously banned Russia from most international competitions following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has indicated its disagreement with the CAS ruling. Several other nations, including Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the Czech Republic, have declared their national teams will refuse to compete against Russia in the upcoming men’s World Championships in Germany. Latvia and Finland have also made similar declarations, and the Finnish city of Turku has threatened to withdraw its hosting duties for the 2028 World Junior Championship.

Belarus's team will not participate in the championship due to a separate decision by the IIHF. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had previously indicated that Ottawa would not permit Russian athletes to compete for their country on Canadian soil, a statement that had led some to believe neutral participation might be possible. However, Van Koeverden clarified that Canada only permits neutral participation for individual athletes, ruling out team participation for Russia. "Canada’s position is unequivocal: as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine, there can be no return to business as usual," he stated, reaffirming Canada's commitment to supporting Ukraine.