The Court of Arbitration for Sport has lifted the ban on Russian hockey players from participating in international competitions

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has overturned the International Ice Hockey Federationʼs decision to bar Russian teams from international tournaments. Russian teams were allowed to participate in five championships in the 2026/27 season.

This is stated in the official decision of the arbitration court.

In particular, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation filed three appeals against the exclusion of its teams from international competitions. On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport published a decision on one of them, which lifted the ban on Russian teams from participating in international tournaments.

The document states that Russian athletes will be able to participate in the following tournaments:

• World Youth Championship — Canada, December 26, 2026 — January 5, 2027.
• Womenʼs U18 World Championship — Czech Republic, January 8-16, 2027.
• Menʼs U18 World Championship — USA, April 22 — May 2, 2027.
• Menʼs World Cup — Germany, May 14-30, 2027.
• Womenʼs World Cup — Canada, November 2027.

What preceded

In January 2026, the International Ice Hockey Federation decided not to allow Russian teams to return to the competition in the 2026/27 season, citing security risks. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation appealed the decision, and in May it was overturned.

However, in June the ban was renewed. After that, the Russian side appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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