Sports State Secretary Adam van Koeverden justifies the decision with the continued war of aggression against Ukraine
AI-generated summary
Russia was banned from international ice hockey competitions in early 2022 after the attack on Ukraine. The CAS had decided to allow Russian teams to compete internationally again. The IIHF then included Russia's juniors in the field of participants at the U20 World Cup instead of newly promoted Norway.
Canada wants to deny the Russian ice hockey team participation in the upcoming U20 World Championship. According to media reports, Canadian authorities informed the world governing body IIHF and the national ice hockey federation that they will not issue visas to Russian players for the tournament from December 26 to January 5, 2027.
This means that entry into Canada would not be possible. This regulation also applies to players who already have valid visas, explained Sports State Secretary Adam van Koeverden in a statement. “As long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine, there can be no return to normality,” said the politician. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney had previously announced that visas would be refused to the Russian team.
Russia was banned from international ice hockey competitions after the attack on Ukraine in early 2022. The measures are intended to prevent international sporting events taking place in Canada from being used “as a platform for state representation, political legitimacy and propaganda,” as van Koeverden explained.
The Canadian government is opposing the decision of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport. The CAS had decided to allow Russian teams internationally again. The IIHF reluctantly included Russia's juniors in the field of participants instead of newly promoted Norway and changed the game plan accordingly. Afterwards, several teams announced that they would not play against Russia.
After the reintegration of Russia, a group of at least seven nations around the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) did not sign the new game plan for the U20 World Cup, as DEB CEO Frank Lutz said on Wednesday in the Bundestag's sports committee. The last time a Russian U20 team took part in a World Cup was in 2021, where they beat Germany 2-1 in the quarterfinals.
A boycott of games against Russian teams is still expected for the World Cup in Germany next May. Several nations around world champion Finland have already announced that they will not compete against a Russian team.
From the point of view of Minister of State for Sport Ronald Rauhe, refusing visas is “not a solution”. The federal government, in coordination with the DEB and the German Olympic Sports Confederation, is therefore holding discussions about how Russia can be prevented from taking part in the World Championships.
dpa/SUF
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The IIHF will adjust the 2027 U20 World Cup schedule or disqualify Russia if visas are not issued.
Likely · Within weeks
Several nations will not play against Russian teams at the World Cup in Germany in May.
Very likely · Within months

Canada denies entry to Russian ice hockey players and thus goes against the CAS. Sports State Secretary van Koeverden emphasizes that there will be no return to normality as long as Russia's war continues.
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