With just weeks to go until the start of the 2027 World Junior Championship, it remains unclear who will be the 10th (of 10) participant. This comes after the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association (NIHF) said that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) had informed it that it had been removed from the tournament so that Russia could take part.
The move, which has yet to be publicly announced by the IIHF, comes in apparent response to last month’s Court of Arbitration (CAS) ruling, which ordered it to allow Russia to return to international play. The World Juniors is the first tournament affected by the CAS decision. The IIHF barred Russia and Belarus from international play shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the IIHF said it was “taking the necessary steps required by the CAS ruling and reviewing what conditions would need to be met to safeguard our Championships, protect the organization’s financial stability and secure the long-term future of international ice hockey.”
As of Monday, the IIHF website still listed Norway as one of the participants in the World Juniors, which is to be hosted by Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta beginning on December 26. Still, Swiss Ice Hockey responded to Norway’s statement, saying it’s team would not face Russia at the World Juniors ā€” as would be the case if it replaces Norway in the schedule.
However, it is far from certain that Russia will actually be able to ice a team in the tournament, as just last week, the Canadian prime minister ruled out the possibility.
“While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal, unjustifiedĀ ā€‹war in Ukraine, as long as that’s going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada,” Mark Carney said.
“So, ā€‹if you’re asking specifically about the World Juniors,Ā the Russians will not be there.”
How this circle could be squared is unclear. Carney’s pledge, coupled with the stated refusal by Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and others to face Russia in an international tournament, appears to have given the NIHF hope that its team could still play in the upcoming World Juniors.Ā Several long-time corporate sponsors have also threatened to pull out if Russia is allowed to compete.
“This makes us hope that the last word has not been said about our participation in Canada in December,” NIHF General SecretaryĀ Petter Salsten said.
“The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association is awaiting further information from the IIHF in the coming days.”
Hosts Germany continueĀ to exploreĀ options
Meanwhile, the German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) is still in discussions with the government in Berlin and the IIHF about how to proceed ā€” or not ā€” with hosting the Men’s Ice Hockey World ChampionshipĀ next May.
“We intend to host the World Championship in Germany next year, and I am very optimistic that we will succeed in doing so,” DEB chairman Frank H. Lutz told German broadcaster MagentaSport on Saturday.
While he acknowledged the IIHF’s CAS-ordered requirement to include Russia and reiterated the DEB’s rejection of the court ruling, he provided no indication as to how this obstacle could be overcome.
Lutz, who said he would be in Berlin for more consultations this week, had previously said handing back Germany’s hosting rights was a possibility ā€” if only as a last resort.
On Friday, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said Berlin supports the DEB’s efforts to find a solution.
“However, given the boycotts that would follow Russia’s readmission, that would effectively be impossible. For this reason, we intend to explore ā€” through dialogue ā€” how we can still ensure the tournament takes place.”
Asked at the same press conference whether Germany could issue visas to a Russian team for the tournament, a Foreign Ministry spokesman indicated that this would be difficult under restrictions currently in place.Ā
“At a time when Russia is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, there can be no ‘normalcy’ ā€” and we will certainly not pretend that there is,” said spokesperson Martin Giese.
However, he did not categorically rule out the possibility.
Could Munich’s Olympic bid be a factor?
It has been suggestedĀ that government officials could be choosing their words carefully out of concern for Munich’s chances as it bids to host the Summer Olympics in 2036, 2040, or 2044.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently lifted its sanctions on Russian athletes and suspension of the Russian National Olympic Committee ā€” opening the door for their return to competition, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The thinking goes that the IOC would expect national Olympic committees who are bidding to host an Olympic Games ā€” like the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) ā€“ to follow its lead.
Asked whetherĀ the debate overĀ Russia’s possible involvement in a hockey tournamentĀ could affect Munich’s chances, government spokesman KorneliusĀ said he didn’t wish to “speculate on implications.”Ā
Still, with the IOC set to decide in the next few weeks whether Munich advances to the next stage of the process, one has to think that the issueĀ could hardly have come up at a more inopportune time for the DOSB.