International Sport Court Ruling Trigger Boycott Threats Ahead of Germany Ice Hockey World Championship
Um der Integrität des Eishockeys willen können wir uns nicht vorstellen, gegen Russland zu spielen, so wie es aussieht.
Wenn wir das täten, würde es im Chaos enden,
said Henrik Bach Nielsen, president of the Danish ice hockey federation, as reported by sportschau.de. The International Sport Court (CAS) ruled last week that Russia must be readmitted to international ice hockey championships, dismantling the ban imposed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Frank Lutz, chairman of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB), stated over the weekend that Germany is considering returning the tournament hosting rights due to escalating security costs and financial risks tied to Russia’s potential participation, sportschau.de reported. The event is slated to run from May 13 to 30, 2027, across venues in Düsseldorf and Mannheim as well as the Schalke 04 football stadium in Gelsenkirchen. Under current IIHF rankings, Russia would claim the tournament spot currently held by Ukraine if the 16-team format is not expanded.
Nordic Federations Refuse Matches Against Russia
Following an initial announcement by world champion Finland, the ice hockey associations of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark confirmed on Tuesday that their national teams will refuse to play against Russia if the country competes in the tournament. Norway’s ice hockey federation, NIHF, issued a statement emphasizing that its stance remains unchanged while the war in Ukraine continues, citing severe security risks for players and staff. The Danish ice hockey leadership echoed those concerns, warning that forcing matches against the Russian squad would destroy the integrity of the sport and plunge the tournament into chaos. Finnish federation president Heikki Hietanen told the broadcaster Yle that his organization is actively building a unified front with neighboring countries to signal to the IIHF that participating teams will not take the ice against Russia. Die finnische Stadt Turku droht zudem, die U20-WM 2027/28 abzugeben, falls Russland antritt.
Corporate Sponsors and Governments Respond to the Crisis
Commercial partners are already severing ties with international tournaments in protest of the CAS ruling. Swedish office furniture manufacturer AJ, a major IIHF sponsor since 1989 whose branding recently appeared on referee jerseys, became the first corporate backer to withdraw its support. Chief Executive David Bry noted that the decision was a direct protest against Russia. A Czech betting company that partners with the IIHF also announced it would refuse to run advertisements during matches involving Russia.
Political pressure is mounting alongside the sporting boycotts. Elina Valtonen stated on social media that Russian athletes should not enter Finland while the war continues, and the Finnish government is weighing independent visa restrictions. Meanwhile, the German federal government has described the CAS ruling as very critical and plans to consult with the DEB, though officials have yet to announce a final policy position as they weigh geopolitical stances against domestic Olympic ambitions.
Swiss Ice Hockey Awaits IIHF Actions
Swiss Ice Hockey has taken a cautious approach to the ruling. The Swiss association stated that it has taken note of the CAS decision regarding the readmission of Russian national teams to international competitions, adding that further steps to implement the ruling now fall under the responsibility of the IIHF. As one of the 16 participating federations at the World Championship, Swiss Ice Hockey will monitor further developments closely and await the decisions of the IIHF.
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