Denmark, Norway and Sweden have said they would refuse to play against Russia at the ice hockey world championship next year because of its war in Ukraine, a day after neighbouring Finland took the same position.
The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association announced its decision in a statement on Tuesday. "The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association has decided that, based on the current situation and available information, Norway will not compete against Russia during the World Championships in 2027," it said, adding that its view that Russia should be banned from all international championships for the duration of the war in Ukraine remains firm. The association said Norway would still play its other group matches as planned.
Russia has been barred from International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) competitions since President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Nordic countries have been strong supporters of Ukraine since the war began.
The refusals follow a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on October 30 that Russia must be admitted to the world championship, after an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. The IIHF has voiced its opposition to the CAS decision, saying it creates "significant practical implications".
The 2027 world championship is due to be held in Germany in May, although the draw and scheduling for the tournament have already taken place without Russia included.
The head of the Danish ice hockey federation, Henrik Bach Nielsen, echoed the opposition in comments to the news agency Ritzau. "For the sake of the integrity of ice hockey as a sport, we cannot see ourselves playing against Russia as things stand now," he said. "It will end in chaos if we do."
Sweden's governing body for the sport delivered an equally firm message. "The Swedish position is crystal clear," it said in a statement. "It has been and still is inconceivable for Russia to take part in international ice hockey as long as the war in Ukraine continues. Swedish national teams will not play matches against Russian national teams."
On Monday, Finland's ice hockey federation said it would use "all possible means to prevent Russia from being reinstated at the world championships". Its president, Heikki Hietanen, said: "We are currently trying to rally as many countries as possible into a common front to tell the IIHF that none of us will play against Russia in the current situation."
The Finnish city of Turku also said on Monday it would withdraw from hosting the junior ice hockey world championship in 2027-2028 if Russia were allowed to take part.
