Putin accuses hockey organizations of ‘gross violation’ as Canada bars Russia from World Juniors

Vladimir Putin accused hockey bodies of breaking legal commitments after Hockey Canada and the Canadian government said Russian athletes would be barred from next month’s World Junior Championships in Alberta. The dispute follows a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that lifted the international ban on Russian teams, raising questions about how that decision will be applied.

The International Ice Hockey Federation had excluded Russian teams from its competitions, but the court’s Friday ruling cleared them to enter upcoming men’s and women’s world championships. Canada says Russian and Belarusian athletes will not compete there under their national symbols, while Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia and Denmark have backed boycotting games against Russia while the war in Ukraine continues. Russia last played at the World Juniors in 2021 and last won gold in 2011.