Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have joined Finland in a unified pledge to boycott any ice hockey matches against Russia during the 2027 World Championships. This collective stance comes in response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which has led these nations to insist that Russian teams should remain excluded from international competition.
The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association confirmed its position on Tuesday, stating that it will not compete against Russia given the current geopolitical climate. While Norway plans to fulfill its other group match obligations, the association emphasized that its commitment to banning Russia from all international championships throughout the duration of the conflict remains resolute.
Sweden’s governing body for the sport echoed this sentiment, describing the possibility of Russian participation as inconceivable.
In a formal statement, the Swedish federation declared that its national teams will categorically refuse to face Russian opponents. This decision aligns with the firm position adopted by Finland, whose ice hockey federation president, Heikki Hietanen, revealed that his organization is actively rallying other nations to form a common front against the potential reinstatement of Russian teams.
The pushback follows a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on October 30, which mandated that Russia must be permitted to participate in the upcoming world championships following an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has expressed strong opposition to this legal decision, noting that it presents significant practical complications for the tournament, which is scheduled for May 2027 in Germany.
Henrik Bach Nielsen, the head of the Danish ice hockey federation, warned that forcing these matches would lead to widespread disruption. Asserting that the integrity of the sport is at stake, Nielsen suggested that requiring teams to play Russia under current conditions would result in organizational chaos. “For the sake of the integrity of ice hockey as a sport, we cannot see ourselves playing against Russia as things stand now,” he said. “It will end in chaos if we do.”.
Russia has been barred from all IIHF competitions since Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The 2027 tournament planning is already well underway, with the initial draw and scheduling having been completed without Russian inclusion. The Nordic countries have been strong supporters of Ukraine since the start of the war.
Local authorities are also taking measures to protest the potential return of Russian athletes. The Finnish city of Turku announced it would withdraw from its role as host for the junior ice hockey world championships in the 2027-2028 season if Russian participation is sanctioned.
