Norway have been removed from the 2027 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship to make room for Russia, after the sport's world governing body moved to reinstate Russian teams following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association said on Sunday that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) had informed it that Russia would take Norway's place at the under-20 tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer, Canada, which runs from 26 December 2026 to 5 January 2027.

Russia were seeded tenth in the ten-team tournament, which left Norway, as the lowest-ranked side, to be demoted to Division IA. That lower-tier event takes place in Hungary from 6 to 12 December.

The decision is the first direct consequence of a ruling handed down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne on 30 October. The court found that the IIHF had not provided enough evidence to keep Russian national teams out of its competitions, and ordered the federation to lift a ban that had been in place since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The IIHF said on Saturday that it continues to disagree with the court's decision, but that it must comply with a binding legal ruling while it looks for a workable way forward with its member associations.

Norway had earned their place at the top table on the ice, winning gold at last year's Division IA championship to secure promotion. Under the original draw they were due to play in Group B against Czechia, Switzerland, Latvia and hosts Canada.

Petter Salsten, the Norwegian association's general secretary, said the federation was still waiting for more information from the IIHF, and made clear that Norway's position on Russia's return has not changed.

We have previously made it clear where we stand on the issue of Russia's participation, where we believe they should not be able to participate internationally as long as the war in Ukraine continues, Salsten said. This also clearly shows all the practical challenges and immediate consequences for everyone involved when countries are to be reinstated immediately.

Salsten added that he hoped the final word had not yet been said about Norway's participation in Canada in December, pointing to the visa question facing the Russian team.

Canada has said it will refuse visas to the Russian players. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said publicly that the Russians will not be there for the tournament, leaving open the possibility that Norway could yet be restored to the field if Russia cannot travel.

Norway are not alone in their stance. Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Latvia and the Czech Republic have all previously said they would refuse to play Russia, and several of the countries taking part in the World Juniors have said they will not face the Russian side if they are drawn against them.

Belarus, which supported Russia's invasion, were not covered by the same court ruling. The IIHF confirmed on Saturday that Belarusian national teams will miss the 2027 World Junior Championship and the 2027 men's World Championship.

The court ruling also affects other IIHF events in the 2026-27 season, including the men's World Championship in Germany and the women's World Championship in Canada in November 2027. For now, though, the focus is on the World Juniors, the first tournament affected, and on whether the Russian team will actually be able to enter Canada when the puck drops on Boxing Day.