Norway dropped from junior hockey championship to make room for Russia

By Serguei Doubine & Euronews Russian Published on 9 November 2026 - 17:28 GMT+1 Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp The IIHF has moved Norway, ranked 10th, to Division 1A to free a place for Russia at the tournament in Alberta, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered Russian teams reinstated. The change is not yet confirmed, and Russia has not been guaranteed Canadian visas. Norway's junior ice hockey team has been dropped from the World Junior Championship in Canada to make room for Russia, following a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling ordering Russian teams to be reinstated in international competition. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Norway, which ranked 10th, has been moved to Division 1A to free a place for Russia at the tournament, which runs from 26 December to 5 January in Alberta. Tickets for the event, including for Norway's matches, are already on sale. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has yet to formally confirm the change. Norway remained listed as a participant on the IIHF website on Monday. Russia's participation is also uncertain. The Russian team has not been guaranteed visas to enter Canada, which could restore Norway's place. "The situation is still unclear," Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation general secretary Petter Salsten said in a statement. "That gives us hope that the question of our participation in the tournament in Canada has not yet been finally settled." Related Hockey nations refuse to play Russia as Germany weighs pulling out as host Salsten said the federation disagrees with the CAS ruling but is obliged to comply. He added that the situation "clearly illustrates all the practical difficulties and immediate consequences for everyone involved if countries are immediately reinstated in full." The IIHF has flagged serious problems with scheduling, participant safety and tournament logistics that Russia's potential return would create. Six countries, including Norway, have pledged to boycott matches against Russia for as long as the war in Ukraine continues. Several long-standing corporate sponsors of ice hockey have also said they will withdraw support if Russia is allowed to compete. Germany championship at risk The CAS ruling covers five world championships in 2027, including the senior men's tournament scheduled for May in Germany. Ukraine, which qualified for the senior men's championship for the first time since 2007, could be displaced if Russia is reinstated, as the lowest-ranked team would have to give way. Vladimir Putin shakes hands with young ice hockey players during a visit to the Presidential sports and leisure complex in Magadan on 15 August 2025, en route to Alaska. Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik The German government said on Friday that holding the championship in Germany with Russia participating was "virtually impossible," following consultations with the IIHF, the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB). DEB chief executive Frank Lutz has said Germany may consider relinquishing its hosting rights. Russia has been suspended from international ice hockey following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. At its last world championship in 2021, the Russian team finished fourth. Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Read more Ukraine hits Russia’s second-largest refinery as fuel rationing spreads Rosstat hack: data obtained suggests over 390,000 Russian deaths in Ukraine war Putin seizes Russian operations of cigarette giant Japan Tobacco International Russia's invasion of Ukraine Boycott War in Ukraine Russia's invasion of Ukraine Hockey Sport Comments