Germany weighs 2027 ice hockey championship exit as federations refuse to face Russia

Germany is considering withdrawing as host of the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship after several European federations said they would refuse to play Russia. The dispute follows a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling on 30 October that ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to allow Russian national teams back into international competition, including the tournament scheduled for May in Germany. The German Ice Hockey Federation said the ruling "fundamentally changes the situation" for the event.

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Its chair, Frank H. Lutz, said the federation's position remained unchanged and that it rejected the return of Russian national teams to international ice hockey tournaments. He added that allowing Russia to participate would have serious consequences for Germany as host, including security, political and economic implications.

The International Ice Hockey Federation said it disagreed with the ruling but would comply. A two-day meeting of its executive body began on Monday to discuss the decision and its consequences. Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Denmark and Sweden have all said they will not play Russia at the 2027 championship, while Austria is considering joining them.

Finland's federation said it would not play Russia until the war against Ukraine ended, and its foreign minister said Russian athletes would not be welcome in Finland next year if Russia continued what she called its aggressive war. The ruling has widened a long-running dispute over Russia's place in international sport. Russian national teams were previously barred from competition, and the latest decision would reopen the issue for all age groups under the federation's umbrella.

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That has created a direct challenge for Germany as host, because a world championship cannot easily proceed if multiple teams refuse to take part in scheduled matches. It also raises questions about how international federations balance sporting rules with political and security concerns linked to the war in Ukraine. The reaction has also spread beyond ice hockey.

The Czech interior minister said the court ruling did not oblige his country to issue visas to Russian nationals because a decree banning short-term visas for Russian citizens remained in force. In Canada, the prime minister said Russia would not be permitted to compete at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. Those responses underline how the ruling is being interpreted differently by governments and sporting bodies, even as the IIHF says it must follow the decision.

What remains unclear is whether Germany will formally step aside as host, and whether the IIHF can find a way to stage the 2027 championship with Russia included. The federation has said it will provide further information after reviewing the ruling with Germany's ice hockey authorities. The next steps are likely to depend on whether more national federations join the boycott and how the IIHF responds to the growing refusal to play Russia.

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