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Norway’s junior ice hockey team has been dropped from the World Junior Championship in Canada to make room for Russia, following a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling ordering Russian teams to be reinstated in international competition.
Norway, which ranked 10th, has been moved to Division 1A to free a place for Russia at the tournament, which runs from 26 December to 5 January in Alberta. Tickets for the event, including for Norway’s matches, are already on sale.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has yet to formally confirm the change. Norway remained listed as a participant on the IIHF website on Monday.
Russia’s participation is also uncertain. The Russian team has not been guaranteed visas to enter Canada, which could restore Norway’s place.
“The situation is still unclear,” Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation general secretary Petter Salsten said in a statement.
“That gives us hope that the question of our participation in the tournament in Canada has not yet been finally settled.”
Salsten said the federation disagrees with the CAS ruling but is obliged to comply. He added that the situation “clearly illustrates all the practical difficulties and immediate consequences for everyone involved if countries are immediately reinstated in full.”
The IIHF has flagged serious problems with scheduling, participant safety and tournament logistics that Russia’s potential return would create.
Six countries, including Norway, have pledged to boycott matches against Russia for as long as the war in Ukraine continues. Several long-standing corporate sponsors of ice hockey have also said they will withdraw support if Russia is allowed to compete.
Germany championship at risk
The CAS ruling covers five world championships in 2027, including the senior men’s tournament scheduled for May in Germany.
Ukraine, which qualified for the senior men’s championship for the first time since 2007, could be displaced if Russia is reinstated, as the lowest-ranked team would have to give way.
The German government said on Friday that holding the championship in Germany with Russia participating was “virtually impossible,” following consultations with the IIHF, the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB).
DEB chief executive Frank Lutz has said Germany may consider relinquishing its hosting rights.
Russia has been suspended from international ice hockey following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. At its last world championship in 2021, the Russian team finished fourth.
Additional sources • AP
