# Russia to replace Norway in ice hockey championship as more countries vow to boycott games

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/russia-to-replace-norway-in-ice-hockey-championship-as-more-countries-vow-to-boycott-games/
- Published: 2026-11-08T13:18:48+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-08T14:38:21+00:00
- Original publisher: Kyiv Independent
- Original article: https://kyivindependent.com/russia-to-replace-norway-in-ice-hockey-championship-as-more-countries-vow-to-boycott-games/
- Topics: Americas, Europe, World

## Key points

- Russia’s reinstatement pushes Norway out of the 2027 top division.
- Canada says Russian athletes will not compete under national symbols.
- Switzerland’s under-20 team has refused to play Russia.

## Summary

Russia’s return to the 2027 World Junior Hockey Championship has led Norway to be moved to a lower division, prompting the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association to highlight the practical consequences of reinstating teams. The change follows a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that found the international federation’s exclusion of Russian players unlawful, although the federation says it disagrees and is exploring its options.

Russia is set to take tenth place in the tournament, held in Canada from 26 December 2026 to 5 January 2027, while Norway drops to Division 1A. Canada’s prime minister said Russian players would not be present, and the government said it would assess whether Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials could enter the country to compete under national symbols. Switzerland has also said its under-20 team will not play Russia; Czechia, Germany, Finland and other federations have expressed support for Ukraine. Russian and Belarusian teams have been excluded from international ice hockey since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.