Ice hockey-IIHF confirms Russia will miss World Juniors over Canada restrictions

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced that Russia will be unable to participate in the 2027 World Junior Championship due to entry restrictions imposed by the Canadian government. The IIHF has opted to keep Canada as the host nation, with the tournament scheduled from December 26 to January 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer.

Canadian Sports Secretary Adam van Koeverden cited Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine as the reason for Canada's decision to deny entry to Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials, even those with valid visas. The IIHF had previously suspended teams from both countries in 2022 following Moscow's invasion. Although a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in the previous month ordered the federation to readmit Russian teams to five championships, the IIHF ultimately decided to exclude Russia from this year's event.