A ban that lasted more than four and a half years
Russia’s exile from international ice hockey ended in a courtroom in Lausanne today. The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the appeal of the Russian federation and annulled the suspension the IIHF imposed in February 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine.
In practical terms, a Russian national team can now be entered in all five IIHF world championships: the men’s and women’s Worlds, the men’s world juniors, and the under-18 tournaments for men and women.
What the court said
The ruling was unanimous. CAS found that the IIHF had not backed up its arguments with enough evidence, and that under the federation’s own rules only properly substantiated security concerns can justify keeping athletes of one nationality out of competition. The sport’s governing body, in the court’s view, had not cleared that bar.
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The IIHF pushes back
The federation did not hide its frustration. In a statement it said it was disappointed, disputed the decision and insisted its original measures were needed to protect the safety of participants and the integrity of its events.
It also raised a problem that has no easy fix. The 2027 men’s Worlds already have their field locked in at the elite level, so slotting in a Russian side means reworking formats, match schedules, travel and accommodation plans and security arrangements. The IIHF argues CAS gave no weight to logistics that cannot be rebuilt overnight.
How the federation answers, and whether Russia takes part in 2027 at all, is now the open question.
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