Ice Hockey World Cup with Russia? The world association is in a dilemma of its own making

In the heated debate about Russia's participation in international ice hockey tournaments, the world association is playing for time. After days of deliberations about the consequences of the sports court ruling on the re-admission of Russian teams, the IIHF declared that it now wanted to examine “all available options” for further action. However, the financial stability and long-term future of international ice hockey must be guaranteed.

The world association reiterated its rejection of the decision of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), which had been hotly debated in recent days. The German Ice Hockey Association, among others, came under pressure as the organizer of the 2027 Men's World Championship.

Several nations around world champion Finland announced that they would not play against Russia. A number of sponsors threatened to stop payments to the IIHF and the World Cup organizers if the Russians took part.

Under this impression, the world association is looking for a way out of the dilemma. The IIHF assured that the steps required by the Cas would be taken for Russia's return to the international ice hockey stage. At the same time, the umbrella organization emphasized: “The IIHF must move within the applicable framework while living up to its responsibility to maintain international competition and protect the sport as a whole.”

Discussions should now be held with all affected associations, including the Russian one. The aim is to “find a constructive path that serves the interests of global ice hockey,” the statement said.

The federal government had previously assured the IIHF and the DEB of its support in the diplomatic negotiations. The World Cup should take place in Germany, said government spokesman Stefan Kornelius. “In view of the boycotts if Russia were admitted, that would actually not be possible,” he explained and also announced further discussions.

The IIHF, on the other hand, has already provided clarity regarding Belarus. The men's team and the U20 of the country that supports Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine are not allowed to take part in the upcoming World Cup tournaments. The IIHF Disciplinary Committee decided that there was no legal basis for ordering immediate resumption.

For Latvia's national ice hockey coach Arturs Irbe, the world association is to blame for the ruling on the return of Russian teams. “It's very simple: the IIHF's justification for excluding them from international competition was very weak and didn't really address the actual concerns,” said the long-time NHL goaltender at the Germany Cup.

The CAS also pointed out the lack of evidence from the umbrella organization in a statement. Irbe believes that these are “probably more of a diplomatic nature than a real justification for why they are not allowed to participate.”