Ice hockey-IIHF confirms Russia will miss World Juniors over Canada restrictions

Russia will miss ​the 2027 ​World Junior Championship ‌because of ​entry restrictions imposed by the Canadian government, the ‌International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) confirmed on Sunday. The IIHF said it had considered alternative arrangements but ‌decided Canada would remain as host, with ‌the tournament proceeding from December 26 to January 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer.

Citing Russia's war ⁠in ​Ukraine, ⁠Canadian sports secretary Adam van Koeverden told Reuters on ⁠Wednesday that Canada would deny entry to Russian ​and Belarusian athletes and officials coming ⁠to compete, even those with valid visas. The IIHF suspended ⁠teams ​from both countries in 2022 after Moscow launched its invasion from Russian ⁠and Belarusian territory, although last month’s Court of ⁠Arbitration ⁠for Sport ruling ordered the federation to readmit Russian teams to ‌five ‌championships.