CAS overturns Russia ice hockey ban as Ukraine and federations object

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has overturned Russia's exclusion from International Ice Hockey Federation competitions, drawing objections from Ukraine and several other national federations. According to BBC Sport, the ruling opens the way for Russian teams to return in the 2026-27 season, including at the men's and women's world championships.

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Russia has been barred from IIHF events since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The governing body decided earlier this year to maintain that exclusion, prompting an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. CAS upheld the appeal after an in-person hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland, finding that the IIHF had not provided sufficient evidence to support its arguments concerning safety, security and other risks.

The Hockey Federation of Ukraine said it respected the tribunal's authority but strongly opposed the outcome. It maintained that the threats behind the original exclusion had not gone away. The decision comes after Ukraine's men earned promotion at this year's Division 1 tournament in Poland, securing a place in the top-flight world championships for the first time in two decades.

How Russia's return will be accommodated remains unresolved. The IIHF did not confirm to the BBC which team's place Russia might take. It said the ruling had practical consequences for competitions whose preparations were already well advanced, and that implementing the necessary changes could not happen immediately. The federation also said it would comply with CAS while maintaining that the concerns behind its original decisions remained.

Germany, which will host the men's world championships in May, also opposed the return. German federation chairman Frank Lutz said Russian participation would carry security, political and economic consequences for the hosts. His federation is assessing the ruling with the IIHF before announcing its next steps.

The Finnish, Czech and United Kingdom federations also criticised the decision. Czech Ice Hockey maintained its opposition to Russian participation while the war continues. Ice Hockey UK said it would respect CAS's authority and examine what the outcome could mean for Great Britain's national teams.

The Russian federation welcomed the ruling and said it would work with the IIHF to arrange its teams' return. That response leaves the governing body facing both opposition from member federations and unresolved competition arrangements as it moves to comply with the arbitration decision.