Sports · 2026-10-30 · Afternoon briefing

Court ruling clears Russia's return to world ice hockey

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled that the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) exclusion of Russian teams was unlawful. The decision, announced on October 30th, clears Russia to participate in upcoming tournaments in Canada, Czechia, the U.S., and Germany. The court found "insufficient" evidence for the safety and security concerns cited by the IIHF.

The IIHF expressed its disappointment with the ruling but confirmed it would comply. However, the decision was met with criticism from several European hockey bodies. The Czech, German, and Austrian associations said their position against Russia's participation remains unchanged, while the Finnish association called the ruling "incomprehensible". The Finnish body noted its athletes have the "right" but no "obligation" to compete against Russian teams.

The ruling comes as the EU considers restricting Russian access to sporting events. The European Commission has expressed "regret" over such decisions while respecting the "autonomy" of sports organisations. In a separate case on October 13th, the same court upheld a ban on Russian athletes in world curling, stating that all cases are assessed "on their individual merits".

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

Read the sources

• Ice hockey-CAS rules that Russia can compete in world championships
• Russia set to return to international hockey after top sports court's ruling
• CAS rules Russia must be allowed back in IIHF events effective immediately
• Russia reinstated for IIHF World Championship after CAS ruling
• Hockey Canada seeks clarity on Russia's possible return to world juniors

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