FRANKFURT — The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Friday that Russian teams can compete in next year's men's and women's world hockey championships, overturning International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) decisions to exclude them from its competitions, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters, Oct 30, 2026

CAS upheld appeals lodged by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation against the IIHF barring its teams from events during the 2026-27 season. The Lausanne-based court said the IIHF had not presented sufficient evidence to justify its assessment that security concerns required Russia's continued exclusion. The Associated Press reported the panel 'found that the IIHF arguments citing safety, security and other concerns were not supported by sufficient evidence'.

Source: Associated Press via NBC Sports, Oct 30, 2026

The IIHF has excluded Russia, which has won five IIHF world titles as an independent nation, from most international ice hockey competitions since 2022, following the country's invasion of Ukraine. The first tournament affected by the ruling is the world junior championship in Canada, which begins on December 26 — leaving organisers less than two months to work out how Russia could be added to a field drawn up without it.

CAS said the ruling did not address whether Russian teams should compete under a neutral flag and without national symbols, as athletes from the country have done in other sports, Reuters reported. The ruling covers five championships in 2027, including the senior men's tournament in Germany — where Ukraine has also qualified, setting up a potential political clash — and the women's championship in Canada.

The IIHF said it disagrees with this aspect of the ruling and maintains that its decisions were necessary to protect the safety and security of all participants and safeguard the integrity of its competitions, while confirming it will act in accordance with the ruling. European hockey federations reacted angrily, with several calling the decision incomprehensible while the war in Ukraine continues, The Hockey News reported.

The decision is the latest sign of Russia's sporting isolation cracking: on July 7, the International Olympic Committee lifted its recommended restrictions on Russian athletes in international sports, though it left team participation in world championships to each sport's federation, the Associated Press reported. Whether Russian teams actually skate in December now depends on the practical arrangements the IIHF says it will decide after assessing the ruling.