Six Nations Pledge to Skip Russia at 2027 Ice Hockey Worlds
Sweden, Norway, and four other European teams will refuse to face Russia, forcing organizers to manage a growing split just weeks before the tournament begins.
By Austin Reed ·
Six of the 16 men's national teams scheduled to compete at the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship in Germany will not play against Russia. Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Denmark, Finland, and the Czech Republic have joined the boycott. The decision creates a scheduling and competitive challenge for tournament organizers in Dusseldorf.
The movement gained momentum this week. Sweden, Norway, Latvia, and Denmark formally announced their refusal on Tuesday. Finland had already signaled its stance on Monday. The Czech federation followed suit on Tuesday after previously indicating it would wait for a board meeting to decide.
The International Ice Hockey Federation must now manage a tournament where a majority of top European powers will avoid direct matches with the Russian team. This follows a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week. The CAS ordered the IIHF to reinstate Russian teams, starting with the world junior tournament in Canada next month.
Sweden's hockey federation reversed its position from last week. Initially, Sweden indicated a boycott was unlikely after the CAS ruling. Federation head Anders Larsson issued a statement on Tuesday confirming the change. "The Three Crowns will not play Russia in coming world championship tournaments," Larsson said. The team will still participate in other games at the event.
Norway cited security concerns for its players. The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association stated that Russia should be excluded from international championships as long as the war in Ukraine continues. The association emphasized the need to protect the safety and mental health of players, staff, and their families. General secretary Petter Salsten noted that Norway could be removed from the junior tournament if Russia is added, as Norway was the last team to qualify.
Denmark and Latvia confirmed their positions through their respective federations. The chairman of Denmark's hockey federation told the Ritzau news agency that its teams would not face Russia. Latvia reaffirmed its long-standing policy against playing Russia or its ally, Belarus. Austria is currently weighing a similar move and is coordinating with authorities.
Sponsors are reacting to the split. Nokian Tyres, a Finnish tire manufacturer, said it will stop sponsoring the world championship if Russia participates. Tiina Frazer, senior vice president for brand, marketing and communications, stated that continuing sponsorship would not align with the company's values under current circumstances. Swedish furniture maker AJ Products, a sponsor since 1989, asked that its logo be hidden if Russia plays.
Germany, which is set to host the men's championship, remains unsure about the event. The chief executive of the German hockey federation previously suggested the country could pull out of hosting due to cost and security concerns. The women's world championship starting in Denmark this week is unaffected by the CAS ruling and is proceeding without Russia.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who supports Russia's return, questioned the value of winning a gold medal without facing strong opponents. He posted on social media that Russian players are among the best in the world. The Czech federation is also hosting the women's under-18 world championship in January and is speaking with the government about denying entry to Russian players.
The situation mirrors the soccer boycotts in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At that time, all of Russia's potential World Cup qualifying opponents threatened to skip matches. FIFA successfully argued at the CAS that excluding Russia risked causing irreparable harm to the competition. The IIHF has not issued an immediate reaction to the new hockey boycotts.
