Finnish national teams will not play Russian teams while war continues — CBC World
The Finnish Ice Hockey Association has stated that Finland's national teams will not play against Russian teams at international tournaments as long as Russia's war against Ukraine continues. CBC World reports.
Decision following court ruling
Finland's position was announced after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation's decision to suspend Russian teams from competitions in the 2026–2027 season. In particular, this concerns the men's and women's world championships.
The court ruled that the IIHF must restore Russian teams' participation in international competitions, beginning with the World Junior Championship, which starts in late December in western Canada. Russian teams have been suspended from international ice hockey tournaments since 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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Possible boycott by other national teams
Finnish Ice Hockey Association spokesperson Henna Malmberg said the organization does not consider itself the only one among countries interested in boycotting games against Russia. Latvian media also reported that Latvia's national teams would not play Russian teams, citing legal grounds.
The IIHF did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possible consequences of Finland's refusal to play such games. The federation's rules stipulate that in the event of a failure to appear for a game, the relevant bodies may, at their discretion, impose additional disciplinary sanctions.
Reaction from hosts and sponsor
The German Ice Hockey Federation is considering whether it will be able to host next year's men's world championship because of additional costs associated with Russia's participation and security considerations. Swedish company AJ Products, which has sponsored the men's world championship since 1989, plans to ask for its logo not to be displayed during the tournament due to the restoration of Russian teams' participation.
