Ice hockey-Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Czechs refuse to play Russia at 2027 Ice Hockey World Cup

Nov 3 : Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the Czech Republic will refuse to play Russia at the next year's men's Ice Hockey World Championship in Germany due to safety concerns and geopolitical tensions, their national federations said on Tuesday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled last week to allow Russia to compete in International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) events again, overturning the governing body's decision to exclude Russian teams following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"Norway will – based on the current situation and the information available to us today – not play against Russia at the World Championship in Germany in May 2027," the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation (NIHF) said in a statement.

"The remaining games in the group will be played as scheduled. Our position that Russia should be excluded from all international championships as long as the war in Ukraine continues remains unchanged," the Norwegian association added.

Alongside political concerns, the organisations cited athlete protection as a core reason for the decision, highlighting potential security threats to its squad and coaching staff.

"For the sake of the integrity of ice hockey, we cannot see ourselves playing against Russia as things stand. It will end in utter chaos if we do so," Danish Icehockey Union chairman Henrik Bach Nielsen told Danish Media.

The Swedish Ice Hockey Association (SIF) also said its team will refuse to face Russia. 

"Our stance remains firm, and together with several other countries, we were in agreement that we would announce this decision jointly," said Anders Larsson, chairman of the SIF, adding that it was unthinkable for Russia to participate in international ice hockey as long as the war in Ukraine