The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has filed a complaint with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision to reinstate Russian national teams in international competitions. The reason is possible undisclosed ties between two arbitrators and Russia, Reuters reports, according to UNN.
Details
According to media reports, the IIHF is challenging the CAS decision of October 30, 2026, by which the court ordered that Russian national teams be allowed to participate in five World Championships during the 2026–27 season.
The appeal was prompted by circumstances that could call into question the independence of two of the three arbitrators who heard the case. In particular, the head of the arbitration panel, Italian Giulio Palermo, attended a legal conference in Moscow in September 2026. This occurred several weeks before his appointment as panel chair on October 9. He said that he had paid for his trip to Moscow himself and that it was unrelated to the case involving Russian hockey players. Another arbitrator, Egyptian Ismail Selim, also attended a legal event in the Russian capital in May 2025.
According to journalists, information about these trips was not properly disclosed during the arbitration proceedings. At the same time, CAS stated that it saw insufficient grounds to question the arbitrator's independence.
What is known about the CAS decision
On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the appeal of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and ruled that Russian national teams should be allowed to participate in international competitions. The arbitration panel concluded that the IIHF had not provided sufficient evidence of security threats that could justify the continued suspension of Russian teams.
The decision concerns five tournaments, including the World Junior Championship, which is scheduled to begin on December 26, 2026, in Canada, as well as the 2027 Men's World Championship in Germany.
The return of the Russians has already met opposition from a number of European ice hockey federations. Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Austria have said they do not wish to play matches against Russian teams. In addition, Canadian authorities said they intend to bar Russian hockey players from the World Junior Championship, even if they have valid visas.
Individual sponsors of international ice hockey competitions have also opposed Russia's return, warning that they may reconsider their cooperation with the IIHF.
Context
Russian and Belarusian national teams were suspended from international ice hockey competitions in February 2022 following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Over the following years, the IIHF repeatedly extended the restrictions, explaining that they were necessary to ensure the safety of tournament participants.
We remind you
Earlier, we reported that the FIFA president was ready to return Russia to international football. The Ukrainian Association of Football and Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs are calling for the position not to be changed because of the ongoing war.