CAS Defends Ruling On Russian Reinstatement To IIHF Tournaments

John E. Sokolowski-USA Today SportsJohn E. Sokolowski-USA Today SportsNov 5, 2026 6:17 PMPublished Nov 5, 2026 6:17 PMAs tensions rise around the hockey world following Russia's reinstatement, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has stood by the conclusion it came to.The CAS has come out and defended its decision to allow Russia back to the international stage and force the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to include them in future tournaments."The CAS Panel found that the IIHF did not present sufficient evidence to establish the legal requirements for the non-participation of Russian teams," the independent organization wrote in a release on Thursday.Russia has been banned from international competition since the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Related stories"The CAS Panel noted that the organizational consequences of this ruling, as well as the potential introduction of a neutrality regime, which are now at the centre of public debate, were neither substantiated by sufficient evidence nor sought by the IIHF during the proceedings."This statement comes after multiple European hockey federations including Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Norway, Latvia and Denmark have agreed to not participate in any event that includes Russia.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has also come out and said that Russian athletes will not be allowed to participate in the upcoming world juniors later this year, which take place in Alberta. The Government of Canada has previously stated it will not financially support Additionally, several high-profile sponsors of IIHF-sanctioned events including STRAUSS, Skoda and AJ Products have threatened to pull out any financial support from upcoming festivities that may include Russia.The IIHF has also taken a strong opposition to the CAS's decision, but has stated it respects the authority of the court and will act in accordance with its ruling.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.