Six nations will skip Russia at 2027 hockey worlds

Sweden, Norway, and the Czech Republic announced on Tuesday that they will refuse to play against Russia at next year's men's ice hockey world championship. The decision places six of the 16 nations in the tournament on the side of a growing European boycott. The movement began on Monday when Finland declared it would lead other nations in refusing matches against the Russian team.

The split in the sport followed a ruling last week by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The court ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to reinstate Russian teams, starting with the world junior tournament in Canada next month. Russia has been excluded from international play since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Swedish Ice Hockey Federation reversed a position it held just a week earlier. After the CAS ruling on Friday, Sweden initially suggested a boycott was unlikely. On Tuesday, the federation board voted to exclude Russia from its schedule while playing other nations. Federation head Anders Larsson stated, "The Three Crowns will not play Russia in coming world championship tournaments."

Norway cited player safety as the primary driver for its decision. The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association said that playing Russia while the war in Ukraine continues exposes players, staff, and their families to security risks. General secretary Petter Salsten noted that Norway was the last team to qualify for the world juniors. He warned that if Russia is added to that tournament, Norway faces a high probability of being removed to make room.

Denmark and Latvia also confirmed they will not face Russia. The chairman of Denmark's federation told the Ritzau news agency that the country's teams would skip the matches. Latvia reaffirmed its long-standing policy of avoiding games against Russia and its ally Belarus.

The Czech Republic joined the boycott after initially saying it would wait for a board meeting next week. Austria told The Associated Press that it is currently coordinating with authorities and is not ruling out a boycott. Germany remains unsure about hosting the men's championship next year due to cost and security concerns.

Financial pressure is mounting on the governing body. Finnish tire manufacturer Nokian Tyres said it will withdraw its sponsorship if Russia participates. Tiina Frazer, the company's senior vice president for brand, marketing and communications, said continuing the sponsorship under current circumstances would not align with the company's values. Swedish furniture maker AJ Products, a sponsor since 1989, said it would ask for its logo to be removed from broadcasts if Russia plays.

The boycott mirrors a similar situation in soccer in 2022, when opponents threatened to skip World Cup qualifiers. FIFA successfully argued at the CAS that excluding Russia prevented irreparable harm to the competition. In hockey, the pressure extends to junior events. The Finnish city of Turku said it will not co-host next year's world juniors if Russia is included.

The Czech federation is hosting the women's under-18 world championship in January. It announced Tuesday that it would consult with the government on whether to deny entry to Russian players. The women's world championship starting this week in Denmark is proceeding without Russia, as it is not covered by the recent CAS ruling.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, a pro-Russian figure, publicly questioned the boycott on social media on Saturday. He asked what value a gold medal holds if teams do not have to beat the Russian players, whom he described as among the best in the world. USA Hockey and Hockey Canada did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the growing movement.