The International Ice Hockey Federation has confirmed that Russia and Belarus will not compete at next year’s Men’s World Championship, extending a ban that has been in place since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The IIHF Council announced the decision on Thursday, citing ongoing concerns around safety, security, and sporting integrity. Russia’s exclusion covers the full range of major 2026-27 IIHF competitions — the Men’s World Championship, World Junior Championship, and both the men’s and women’s Under-18 tournaments, according to Reuters.
What the Ban Covers
Russia had formally requested entry into all five of those events. The IIHF denied four of them outright. The women’s tournament was left separate, as Daily Faceoff reports, because the Women’s World Championship has moved to a November schedule going forward.
The governing body said a separate review of Russia’s eligibility for the 2027 Women’s Worlds will take place at the IIHF Council meeting in November 2026, factoring in circumstances and risk assessments at that time.
Belarus faces a slightly different situation. The Belarusian Ice Hockey Association was also refused entry to the Men’s Worlds and World Junior Championship, again on safety and security grounds. However, the IIHF confirmed Belarus can participate in three lower-level tournaments next season — the U-18 Men’s Worlds, the Division IV Women’s Worlds, and the U-18 Division III Women’s event. That marks the first time Belarusian teams will feature in any IIHF competition since 2022.
NHL Players Remain Frozen Out
The sustained ban means Russian players competing in the NHL are still unable to represent their country at the international level. Russia has won five World Championship titles as an independent nation. None of those players will be available for selection when Germany hosts the tournament in May 2027.
The Men’s World Championship opens at Gelsenkirchen’s AufSchalke Arena on May 13, before moving to Mannheim and Düsseldorf for the remainder of the competition through May 30, per Yahoo Sports/dpa.
Russia Pushes Back, IOC Takes a Different Path
The Russian Ice Hockey Federation rejected the ruling. Via The Globe and Mail, the federation said it neither accepts nor understands what it described as a shortsighted position that ignores IOC recommendations and works against the spirit of international sport.
That contrast with the IOC is notable. The IOC provisionally lifted its ban on the Russian Olympic Committee earlier this month, a step widely seen as moving toward Russia’s return ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The IOC had also recommended in December that international federations readmit Russian and Belarusian athletes under 23. The IIHF has not followed that path — at least not yet.
Some nations are already pushing back against even Belarus’s limited return. Latvia has said it will not play against Belarus at the Men’s U-18 event, and Lithuania announced it will withdraw from the Women’s U-18 Division III tournament if Belarus competes, according to Daily Faceoff.
