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Sweden, Finland, and three other countries say they’ll boycott hockey games against Russia after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reinstates the Russian team
The national hockey teams of Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Norway and Denmark say they will refuse to play Russia in international tournaments, following a ruling that reinstates the Russian team. Most of the federations say they will still take part in tournaments, but will not face Russia.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision took effect immediately, and Russia is due to play at the World Junior Championship in Canada from late December. The International Ice Hockey Federation says it intends to comply with the ruling, though how it will handle the boycotts remains unclear; the Czech federation is also considering a boycott.
In short
- Five Northern European teams plan to refuse games against Russia.
- Most say they will still enter the tournaments.
- Russia’s first scheduled return is the World Junior Championship in Canada.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The five federations can argue that refusing to play Russia is a principled response to its return while the reasons for its exclusion remain unresolved. By taking part in tournaments but declining only these matches, they seek to register their objection without withdrawing from international competition altogether.
The case against
The federations can argue that sporting competition should follow the governing bodies’ rules and binding legal rulings, rather than be selectively withheld by individual teams. Boycotts could disrupt tournaments and affect players who have no control over the dispute, while a shared approach through the International Ice Hockey Federation would offer clearer and more consistent rules.