Hockey Canada Faces Calls to Follow Sweden on Russia

Sweden’s decision to refuse to play Russia in upcoming international ice hockey tournaments has sparked calls for Hockey Canada to take a similar position. Following the announcement by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, fans questioned why Canada had not joined Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway in ruling out matches against Russian teams.

The debate intensified after TSN journalist Chris Johnston reported Sweden’s decision on X. Several fans responded by tagging Hockey Canada and urging the Canadian federation to make its position clear, particularly following a recent Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling requiring the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to reinstate Russian teams in certain competitions.

Hockey fans urge Canada to follow Sweden’s decision

Johnston’s report about Sweden joining other Nordic federations in refusing to play Russia attracted strong reactions from hockey fans. Many questioned why Hockey Canada had yet to announce a similar boycott.

One user directly challenged the Canadian federation, asking:

“Canada, care to follow?”

Another fan tagged Hockey Canada and questioned why it had not taken a public position.

“@HockeyCanada what’s taking so long? This is an easy decision. If the corrupt CAS won’t keep the Russians out, then everyone should refuse to play them.”

A separate response also called on Canada to join the countries refusing to face Russia.

“Canada needs to join them!”

The discussion also extended beyond upcoming international championships, with one fan highlighting the possible consequences for the NHL’s 2028 World Cup of Hockey.

“That’s four Nordic federations on record. Reports say Sweden and Finland already told the NHL and NHLPA they’d skip an event Russia is invited to, which makes the 2028 World Cup of Hockey invite list a harder call for the league.”

Not every response focused exclusively on Russia. Another user brought the United States into the debate, writing:

“They should also refuse to play the USA”

The reactions reflect growing discussion among fans about how national hockey federations should respond to Russia’s potential return to international competition.

Sweden reverses its earlier position on playing Russia

The Swedish Ice Hockey Association announced its decision on Tuesday, reversing an earlier position expressed by federation chair Anders Larsson. Last week, Larsson had said that a boycott was not being considered, but the federation has now confirmed that its national teams will not face Russia in upcoming world championship tournaments.

Announcing the decision, Larsson said:

“The Three Crowns will not play Russia in coming world championship tournaments.”

The Three Crowns is the name associated with Sweden’s national ice hockey teams. The announcement places Sweden alongside Finland, Denmark and Norway, which have also indicated that they will refuse to play Russia.

Latvia’s ice hockey federation has also said it will not play Russia, according to The Associated Press. These decisions have added pressure on other national federations to clarify how they intend to respond if Russian teams return to international tournaments.

CAS ruling puts Russian teams’ return in focus

The announcements from Sweden and other federations followed a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday. The decision requires the IIHF to reinstate Russian teams, beginning with the World Junior Championship scheduled to start on December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Canada.

The ruling has created a difficult situation for international hockey organisers. While the CAS decision concerns the reinstatement of Russian teams, individual national federations have separately expressed their unwillingness to compete against them.

That difference has become central to the debate. The IIHF must address the implications of the ruling, while national federations are considering how participation in tournaments involving Russia would affect their teams.

The World Juniors will be one of the first major competitions affected by the decision, with the tournament scheduled to take place in Alberta from December 26. The position of participating countries could therefore become increasingly important as the event approaches.

Hockey Canada yet to announce a boycott of Russia

Despite calls from fans, Hockey Canada has not announced that it will refuse to play Russia in upcoming international tournaments. Following the CAS ruling, the Canadian federation said it was assessing the implications and communicating with the IIHF to obtain further information.

Hockey Canada’s position has become a major point of discussion because Canada is scheduled to host the upcoming World Junior Championship. The tournament will take place in Edmonton and Red Deer, making the potential return of Russian teams particularly relevant for the host country.

Canada’s government has expressed concern about the CAS ruling, but its position is separate from the decision of Hockey Canada. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand described the ruling as “very unwelcome.”

Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden also said Canada would maintain restrictions on Russian athletes at events hosted in the country that receive federal funding.

Government funding distinction complicates the World Juniors issue

The distinction between federally funded and non-federally funded sporting events is important for the upcoming World Junior Championship. Hockey Canada has confirmed that the tournament does not receive federal funding.

That means the restrictions outlined by the Canadian government for events receiving federal funding do not automatically determine the tournament’s status. The issue has also involved the provincial government in Alberta.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said the province would comply with the CAS ruling. This adds another dimension to the situation as Hockey Canada continues to assess the implications of the decision and remains in contact with the IIHF.

As a result, the question of whether Canada will follow Sweden and other federations remains unresolved. Hockey Canada’s current position is that it is seeking further information rather than announcing a refusal to play Russia.

2028 World Cup of Hockey faces a possible participation challenge

The debate could become even more complicated for the NHL as it prepares for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. The league will have to consider the positions of national federations if Russia becomes part of the tournament’s proposed eight-team field.

In March, Czech outlet iDNES reported that the Czech, Swedish and Finnish federations had informed the NHL that they would skip the February 2028 competition if Russia were included.

Such a position could create a challenge for organisers because the World Cup is intended to bring together national teams in an international competition. The possibility of several federations refusing to participate would make decisions about the tournament’s invitation list more complicated.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly later said that no formal notice had been filed by the federations. However, Daly said the league was “in sync” with those federations and suggested Russia would likely be excluded if the war in Ukraine continued.

The NHL has not yet announced the eight-team field for the 2028 tournament. Consequently, Russia’s potential participation and the responses of other national federations remain unresolved issues.

Upcoming international hockey tournaments under scrutiny

The immediate focus is on the World Junior Championship, which begins on December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer. The men’s World Championship is also approaching, with the tournament scheduled for May 14-30, 2027, in Germany.

Sweden’s announcement, alongside the positions taken by Finland, Denmark, Norway and Latvia, has increased pressure on other hockey federations to clarify their plans. Hockey Canada has yet to join those refusing to play Russia, while the Canadian government has outlined restrictions tied to federal funding.

The issue also has implications for the NHL’s 2028 World Cup of Hockey, where the inclusion of Russia could affect participation decisions by several European federations. With the tournament field still unannounced, the league’s eventual decision will be closely watched.

For now, the central question raised by fans remains unanswered: will Hockey Canada follow Sweden and the other federations, or will it take a different approach to Russia’s possible return to international hockey?