Canada's secretary of sport questions Russia competing as neutrals at Alberta world juniors

Adam van Koeverden, Canada's Secretary of State for Sport, has cast doubt on whether Russia can compete as a neutral team at the upcoming world junior hockey championship in Alberta.

The development follows last month's Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling the International Ice Hockey Federation must reinstate Russia in international hockey, after Russia and Belarus were barred from international hockey competition in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said last week Russian and Belarusian athletes could not compete in Canada representing their countries while the war continues. The government's Nov. 3 statement, however, allowed individual athletes to compete as neutrals but did not clarify whether that provision could extend to a Russian team at the men's under-20 tournament, which opens Dec. 26.

However, Van Koeverden clarified Monday the neutral athlete designation used for Russians at other events applied to individuals, not teams.

Van Koeverden's comments come after Norway's hockey federation said Sunday the IIHF had informed it that Russia would be added to the world juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer next month at Norway's expense.

"This is a really quickly evolving situation with Norway," van Koeverden said from a sports summit in Ottawa. "I've had conversations with ministers of sport from Finland, from Sweden, and from Norway and from Germany. Hoping to meet with the minister from Czechia this week as well as others to discuss this quickly evolving situation.

"The Prime Minister was extremely clear that sport will not be used for propaganda on Canadian soil, and the notion that there, you know, might be accommodations is one that the Prime Minister was extraordinarily