The Swedish Ice Hockey Association says it will refuse to play Russia if the teams meet at the world juniors, after being informed of a plan from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to include Russia that could cost Norway its place in the Alberta tournament.
Norway’s hockey federation said Sunday the IIHF had informed it that Russia would be added to the men’s under-20 tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer next month at Norway’s expense.
The IIHF has not formally announced the change, and its website still lists Norway among the 10 teams in the tournament.
The development follows last month’s Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that the IIHF must reinstate Russia in international hockey, after Russia and Belarus were barred from international hockey competition in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Swedish association told The Canadian Press on Monday it sympathized with Norway, which qualified for the tournament but now risks losing its place.
“I feel deeply for Norway’s national junior team, which qualified for the World Juniors but now risks losing its place in the tournament. It is difficult to see this as anything other than unfair,” said SIHA Secretary General Tony Wiréhn.
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The Finnish Ice Hockey Association also reiterated Monday that it would not play Russia as long as the war against Ukraine continues.
It said it would not speculate further and would wait for the outcome.
Neither federation said whether it would play a Russian team competing under a neutral designation.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said last week Russian and Belarusian athletes could not compete in Canada for their countries while the war continues.
The government’s Nov. 3 statement allows individual athletes to compete as neutrals but does not clarify whether that could extend to a Russian team at the world juniors, which opens Dec. 26.
Norway said Sunday it still hoped to compete in the tournament, citing uncertainty over its participation.
“The situation is still unclear,” Norway’s hockey Secretary General Peter Salsten said in a statement posted on the association’s website and translated from Norwegian.
“This makes us hope that the last word has not been said about our participation in Canada.”
Hockey Canada referred The Canadian Press to the federal government’s Nov. 3 statement and said it had nothing to add.
Individual Russian athletes who have competed at the Olympics since the war began have done so as neutrals.
Russian and Belarusian professional tennis players have continued to compete as individuals under neutral status on the ATP and WTA tours, including at the National Bank Open events in Toronto and Montreal.
World Aquatics barred Russian and Belarusian athletes from its events in 2022, then allowed them to return as neutrals the following year.
In April, it lifted restrictions on senior athletes, allowing them to compete under their national flags and with their anthems, subject to screening requirements.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
