Belarus barred from 2027 ice hockey championships as IIHF weighs Russia's return after court ruling
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Belarus will remain excluded from the 2027 World Championship and World Junior Championship, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced on Nov. 7, while confirming that it is exploring ways to implement a court ruling allowing Russian teams to return to international competition.
The IIHF said its decision to exclude Belarusian teams followed a ruling by its Disciplinary Board, which partially upheld an appeal by the Belarusian Ice Hockey Association but found no legal grounds to order immediate reinstatement.
The federation cited existing tournament arrangements, including competition formats, schedules, ticketing, and logistics, as reasons for maintaining Belarus's exclusion.
Separately, the IIHF said it "continues to disagree" with an Oct. 30 ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that overturned its exclusion of Russian teams from international competitions.
The federation said it was reviewing the conditions necessary to implement the ruling while ensuring tournament safety, financial stability, and the future of international ice hockey.
It also said it was considering discussions with affected national federations, including Russia's, to find a way forward.
The CAS ruling has drawn widespread criticism from Ukraine and several leading hockey nations, including Finland, Canada, Germany, and Czechia. Some European federations have threatened to boycott the 2027 World Championship if Russian teams are reinstated.
"Some say that sports are separate from politics, but that's not true as long as missiles are destroying ice arenas and killing athletes," Ihor Merezhko, captain of Ukraine's national men's team, told the Kyiv Independent.
Russian and Belarusian teams have been excluded from IIHF competitions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with Belarus supporting the war.
Ukraine qualified for the top division of the 2027 World Championship for the first time in 20 years after finishing second in Division I Group A in May.
The potential return of Russia has raised concerns that Ukraine could lose its place in the tournament, although the IIHF has not announced any decision to replace the Ukrainian team.
