IIHF bans Russia from four 2027 world tournaments

The International Ice Hockey Federation announced Thursday that Russia will not be permitted to compete in four major world tournaments in 2027, citing safety, security, and sporting integrity concerns.

Russia is barred from the 2027 world junior championships, world championships, and under-18 men's and women's tournaments, according to the IIHF's announcement. A decision on the women's world championships will be made separately in November.

Russian teams have been shut out of international play since launching its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The IIHF said in May that it would evaluate Russian eligibility on a case-by-case basis going forward, but the four-tournament ban represents a broad enforcement action across youth and senior competitions.

The International Olympic Committee provisionally lifted a suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee earlier this month, though Russia has remained barred from team-sport competition in the Olympics since the invasion. The IOC's action does not automatically translate to reinstatement in other governing bodies' events.

The NHL and the NHL Players' Association are running the next World Cup of Hockey in 2028, a venue where Russian participation remains undetermined. The NHL has said it would follow the lead of organizations such as the IIHF and IOC when making decisions on Russian participation in that tournament.

The IIHF's announcement does not clarify whether the ban extends to other 2027 competitions beyond the four specified tournaments, nor does it address under-20 or other age-group divisions.