Ice hockey-IIHF to decide Russian participation on event-by-event basis after ban review

May 29 : The International Ice Hockey Federation has reversed its decision to ban Russian national and club teams from its 2026-27 competitions and will now review the country's eligibility on an event-by-event basis, the governing body announced on Friday. 

The move comes a day after the IIHF reinstated Belarus into three 2026-27 tournaments: the U18 World Men’s Championship, Women’s World Championship Division IV and U18 World Women’s Championship Division IIIB. 

• Russia has been banned from IIHF competitions, including the world championships, since 2022 following the nation's invasion of Ukraine.

• The IIHF council re-analysed Russia's reintegration in January but maintained the ban based on safety and security concerns.

• The Russian Ice Hockey Federation appealed the council's decision to the IIHF disciplinary board, which annulled the council's decision this week.

• Russia will not automatically be reintegrated and the country's eligibility in future competitions will be reviewed on an event-by-event basis.