Russia's return to international ice hockey is turning into one of the messiest disputes in world sport, with Norway pushed out of next month's World Junior Championship, Canada refusing to let the Russian team in, and seven European nations saying they will not take the ice against them.

The row follows a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on 30 October ordering the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to admit Russian teams to five championships. The court found there was insufficient evidence that security risks justified extending the ban imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The IIHF said it disagreed with the ruling but would comply.

Norway loses its place

Norway became the first casualty of the decision. The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association said on 8 November that it had been told by the IIHF that Russia would take Norway's place at the 2027 World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Canada, which runs from 26 December 2026 to 5 January 2027. Norway, the lowest-ranked team in the ten-nation tournament, would drop to Division 1A, played in Hungary from 6 to 12 December.

Norway had earned promotion to the top division by winning gold at last year's Division 1A championship. Its secretary general, Petter Salsten, said the federation was still waiting for more information from the IIHF.

"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."

Canada says no visas

Even if the IIHF's revised schedule stands, Russia may never reach the rink. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Russian players will not be allowed into the country for the tournament, and the Canadian sports secretary has said the neutral designation in the CAS ruling applies to individual athletes, not teams.

"The authorities in Canada have made it clear that Russian players will not be granted visas to participate in the Junior World Championships," Salsten said, adding that this gave Norway hope "that the last word has not been said about our participation in Canada in December."

The Czech Republic has taken a similar line. Interior Minister Lubomir Metnar said existing rules prevent him from issuing short-stay visas for Russian players for January's women's under-18 championship in Ostrava. Sweden has urged the European Commission to tighten visa rules for athletes representing Russia or Belarus, while Finland is preparing restrictions on short-term work visas for Russian athletes across sports.

Seven European teams refuse to play Russia

Seven European nations — Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Norway and Sweden — have said they would refuse to play Russia. Ukraine, which has qualified for the men's top division for the first time since 2007, has said it intends to compete but would refuse to play Russia. Switzerland said its juniors will compete in Alberta but would sit out the 27 December game against Russia on the IIHF's revised schedule.

Germany's government has said opposition from teams and sponsors has made staging the men's championship in May with Russia "effectively impossible". Berlin has left open the possibility of refusing visas, saying it will assess applications individually.

Belarus remains excluded. The CAS ruling covered Russia alone, and on 7 November the IIHF confirmed Belarus would miss the junior and men's championships, citing existing tournament arrangements.

Sponsors walk away

The dispute is also hitting the tournaments' finances. The Finnish city of Turku said it will give up co-hosting the 2028 World Juniors with Tampere if Russia compete. AJ Products, a men's championship sponsor since 1989, has withdrawn from the 2027 tournament. Nokian Tyres has said it will end its sponsorship if Russia play, while Skoda Auto will review its involvement and Strauss will remove its logos while considering a full withdrawal.

Russia has reacted angrily. President Vladimir Putin said countries opposing rulings to allow Russia to take part in international sport were violating the rights of Russian athletes and democratic institutions. Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said opponents would forfeit and countries blocking Russia risked losing hosting rights, which the IIHF council can withdraw after a review.

As of 10 November, the IIHF had yet to announce Norway's relegation publicly. The federation said it was consulting with national associations, host authorities and organisers on how to proceed. With the World Juniors due to start in less than seven weeks, the sport's governing body, its hosts and its sponsors are running out of time to agree on a tournament that can actually be played. Reuters and Daily Faceoff reported the details.