Canada will not permit Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the upcoming World Juniors hockey tournament, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Tuesday. This decision defies a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last week that had lifted the ban on Russian teams.
The CAS ruled that Russian teams could participate in upcoming world championships, overturning the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) exclusion decisions. However, Canadian authorities have maintained their stance.
"While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal and unjustified horrific war in Ukraine, as long as that's going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada," Carney stated. "So, if you're asking specifically about the World Juniors, the Russians will not be there."
Hockey Canada expressed gratitude for the government's position, stating, "We will be meeting with our Board of Directors this week to discuss next steps given the government’s clear position."
Several other nations, including Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia, and Denmark, have declared their intention to boycott games against Russia for as long as the war in Ukraine continues. STRAUSS, a major sponsor of the world championships, threatened to withdraw its support if Russia's national team were to participate.
Russia was also absent from the recent Winter Olympics and the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off. The IIHF has stated it disagrees with the CAS decision, citing ongoing security concerns related to the war in Ukraine.
The CAS cited a lack of sufficient evidence to support the IIHF's security concerns when lifting the ban. Russia's sports minister, Mikhail Degtyarev, welcomed the decision, stating that "discrimination in hockey has been brought to an end."