Canada is taking decisive action to bar Russian athletes and team officials from entering the country for the upcoming World Junior Championship in Alberta. This move effectively prevents their participation in the tournament, which is scheduled to run from December 26 to January 5.
Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden announced on Wednesday that Ottawa maintains a firm stance against the presence of Russian and Belarusian participants in international sporting events. He stated, “Canada’s position is unequivocal: as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine, there can be no return to business as usual.” Van Koeverden emphasized that Canada remains committed to supporting Ukraine throughout the conflict.
The government intends to use the minister for immigration, refugees and citizenship to enforce these restrictions, ensuring that individuals are assessed and denied entry regardless of whether they currently hold valid visas.
While Prime Minister Mark Carney had previously indicated that Russian athletes would not be permitted to compete for their country on Canadian soil, Van Koeverden clarified that Canada will not facilitate team participation, noting that neutral entry is only considered for specific individual athletes.
This government policy aligns with the stance of Hockey Canada. However, the situation remains complex following a recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to readmit Russian squads to five championships, starting with the World Juniors. The IIHF has expressed disagreement with the CAS decision, having previously restricted Russia from international competition since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. According to the IIHF, which has barred Russia from most international competitions since Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine,, It disagreed with the CAS decision.
The broader hockey community is also seeing significant pushback. Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the Czech Republic have declared they will not compete against Russia in next year’s men’s World Championships in Germany. Similarly, Latvia and Finland have confirmed their teams will boycott matches against Russia, with the Finnish city of Turku warning it may relinquish its hosting rights for the 2028 World Junior Championship due to these tensions.
