IIHF adds Russia to 2027 World Junior Championship, pushing Norway out of top division

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced that Russia will be included in the 2027 World Junior Championship, relegating Norway to Division IA. This decision came after a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Oct. 30, which ordered the IIHF to admit Russian national teams to several international competitions in 2026–2027, including the senior World Championship.

Norway, currently the lowest-ranked team in the elite division, will have to compete in Division IA. The Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation (NIHF) Secretary-General, Petter Salsten, has expressed opposition to Russia's return to international competition due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Additionally, Canadian authorities have stated that Russian hockey players will not be granted visas, and several participating countries have indicated they will not take part in the tournament or refuse to play against Russia if they face them.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from Dec. 26, 2026, through Jan. 5, 2027, in Edmonton and Red Deer.

Brief written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.