The Russian national ice hockey teams have been given the opportunity to participate in international competitions again. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne ruled in favor of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, which appealed the decision to extend the suspension of the representative teams.
Thus, the men's national team of Russia will be able to participate in the World Championship in Germany in May 2027. The women's team also receives the right to participate in the world championship, which will be held in Canada in November of the same year.
The Russian national teams were removed from international tournaments after the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, their participation in competitions under the auspices of international sports organizations has been limited.
The CAS decision comes amid a divergence in the positions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). While the Olympic organization has taken steps to allow Russian athletes back into international sport, the IIHF has maintained restrictions on Russian national teams in 2026 and 2027, citing security concerns.
The Russian Ice Hockey Federation challenged this position before the Court of Arbitration in Lausanne and received a favorable decision. It now remains to be seen how it will be implemented in practice and under what conditions the Russian teams will return to the world stage.