CAS overturns Russia ice hockey ban as federations oppose return

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has overturned Russia’s exclusion from International Ice Hockey Federation events, opening the way for Russian teams to return in the 2026-27 season. BBC Sport reported that the ruling followed an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and an in-person hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland.

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Russia has been suspended from IIHF competitions since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The governing body decided earlier this year to maintain that exclusion, prompting the Russian appeal. In its statement on the case, CAS said the IIHF had not provided sufficient evidence to support its arguments concerning safety, security and other issues. The decision puts Russia in line to participate in events including the men’s and women’s world championships.

Ukraine’s ice hockey federation strongly objected to the outcome while saying it respected the court’s authority. It argued that the threats underlying the original ban remained. Ukraine’s men have qualified for the top division of the world championships for the first time in 20 years, having secured promotion at this year’s Division 1 tournament in Poland.

How Russia’s reinstatement will affect the tournament field remains unresolved in the BBC report. The IIHF would not confirm which team’s place Russia might take and warned that competitions were already at an advanced stage of preparation. It said implementing the ruling presented practical difficulties that could not be resolved immediately. The federation also maintained that its original decisions were intended to protect participants and the integrity of its competitions.

Germany, which will host the men’s world championships in May, also opposed Russia’s return. German federation chairman Frank Lutz said participation by Russian national teams would have security, political and economic consequences for the hosts. The German federation is assessing the ruling with the IIHF. The Finnish and Czech federations condemned the decision, while Ice Hockey UK said it was disappointed and would examine the implications for Great Britain’s national teams.

The Russian Ice Hockey Federation welcomed the outcome and said it would work with the IIHF on bringing its teams back into competition. The IIHF said it would comply with CAS despite disagreeing with the ruling, while stressing that the concerns behind its earlier assessments had not disappeared. The court’s decision therefore leaves organisers facing both opposition from member federations and unresolved arrangements for tournaments already being prepared.