Canada's secretary of state for sport on Wednesday dismissed suggestions that barring Russian players from next month's world junior hockey championship in Alberta could damage the country's prospects of hosting future international events, including the Olympics.
"No, we've been unequivocal with respect to our support for Ukraine and in our insistence that Russia as well as Belarus do not compete in international events while using their national symbols," Adam van Koeverden said when asked about possible repercussions.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled last week that Russia must be reinstated to international competition, beginning with the world juniors. Russian and Belarusian teams have been excluded since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Veteran sport lawyer Dick Pound, a longtime International Olympic Committee member and former CAS arbitrator, said the international sport court has no power to dictate which athletes Canada admits. "Short of stamping their feet and pouting, there's not much they can actually do," Pound said, adding that the Canadian government has the final word on entry. "Hockey Canada, if that's where the buck stops, I'd say, 'listen, I'm sorry, we're a sport organization. We don't decide who can get entry visas into Canada, nor can CAS order the Canadian government to grant visas.'"
The International Ice Hockey Federation repeated its opposition to the ruling on Wednesday, citing logistical, security and competitive challenges tied to Russia's immediate return, including visa requirements and potential changes to tournament formats. "The global impact of the decision made by the CAS Panel and the challenges it creates for all involved were significantly underestimated," the federation said. It did not directly address Canada's refusal to admit Russian players, but said it is consulting national hockey associations, tournament organizers and host authorities before deciding its next steps, promising more information in the coming days.
Prime Minister Mark Carney had made Canada's stance plain on Tuesday while attending the Commonwealth Summit in Antigua. "So if you're asking specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there," he said. The federal government said it would use its immigration powers to keep Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols, arguing the measure prevents the two countries from using sporting events on Canadian soil as platforms for political legitimacy and propaganda. Athletes competing as neutrals could still be permitted.
Van Koeverden said he met Tuesday with Finland's sports minister to discuss the matter, noting that countries bordering Russia face different consequences from its invasion of Ukraine. "We have a lot in common and certainly not the least of which is our support for Ukraine," he said. Asked why Russia was being treated differently from other countries, including the United States, he pointed to Moscow's use of international sport to advance political interests. "They continually use sport for nefarious reasons and purposes, so the false equivalencies aren't necessary in this regard," he said.
Russia's ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, criticized the decision on Tuesday, accusing Ottawa of politicizing sport. "It is genuinely regrettable to see Prime Minister Carney's cabinet bringing politics onto the ice. Sport, particularly junior hockey, should be about athletic excellence, fair competition and bringing young people together," he said, adding that the move would remove some of Canada's strongest competition at the tournament.
Hockey Canada welcomed the government's position and said its board would meet this week to discuss next steps. Several European federations, including Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Latvia, have said their teams would refuse to face Russia. The opposition has also reached major sponsors of next May's men's world hockey championship in Germany: Czech automaker Skoda, the tournament's main sponsor for more than 30 years, said Wednesday it would reassess its involvement if Russia competes, German workwear manufacturer Strauss threatened to withdraw, and Nokian Tyres said it would end its backing.
The world junior championship opens Dec. 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., with defending champion Sweden among the 10 teams scheduled to compete. Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, the United States, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, Norway and Finland round out the field.
