Canadian News and Stats

Sports

Canada moves to block Russian and Belarusian teams from the world juniors in Alberta

The immigration minister will use a public-policy power in Canada's immigration law to stop players and officials from entering to compete under their national flags. The move cuts against an Oct. 30 ruling that ordered hockey's world body to let Russia back in.

By Canadian News and Stats news desk Published Updated 8 sources How we report

Canada will stop Russian and Belarusian hockey players and officials from entering the country to play under their national flags at next month's world junior championship in Alberta, the federal government said Tuesday. The decision sets Ottawa against an Oct. 30 ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that ordered Russia back into international hockey.1,3

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship “will exercise her authorities under subsection 22.1(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to individually assess and prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols,” Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden said in a joint statement.1

Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke to reporters at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua. “So if you're asking specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there,” he said, according to The Canadian Press.5

Section 22.1 lets the minister declare, “on the Minister's own initiative,” that a foreign national may not become a temporary resident if the minister believes “it is justified by public policy considerations.” A declaration lasts up to 36 months, and the report the minister files with Parliament under section 94 must give the number of declarations and the public policy reasons for them.2

The ministers said the measure “is not directed at the Russian and Belarusian people” and that athletes competing in a neutral capacity can still take part in events Canada hosts. Canada will also keep requiring that events receiving federal funding bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing under their national symbols.1

On Wednesday, Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden dismissed concerns that the ban could hurt Canada's chances of hosting future events, including the Olympics. “No, we've been unequivocal with respect to our support for Ukraine and in our insistence that Russia as well as Belarus do not compete in international events while using their national symbols,” he said, according to The Canadian Press.7

Russia's ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, said Tuesday it was “genuinely regrettable to see Prime Minister Carney's cabinet bringing politics onto the ice,” The Canadian Press reported.7

The ruling Ottawa is pushing against

A three-member CAS panel upheld an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation on Oct. 30 and ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to admit Russian teams to five events: the world juniors in Canada, the under-18 women's and men's championships, the men's world championship in Germany and the women's world championship in Canada in November 2027.3

The panel found that the IIHF's safety and security arguments “were not supported by sufficient evidence.” It set aside the IIHF Council's decision with immediate effect and did not order a neutrality regime, which no party had requested. The award is operative only, with written reasons to follow.3

The IIHF said Oct. 30 that it disagreed with the ruling but would “act in accordance” with it. Changes to participation require a review of “competition formats, schedules, travel and accommodation arrangements, and safety and security measures,” the federation said, adding that it would “urgently assess” the steps needed.8

After a council meeting, the IIHF said Wednesday that it “maintains its disagreement” with the decision and that “the global impact of the decision made by the CAS Panel and the challenges it creates for all involved were significantly underestimated.” It listed “visa and entry requirements” first among the practical problems with an immediate return, “with some events only weeks away.” The statement did not name Canada. It said the federation is aware of “the recent statements made from key stakeholders.”6

What it means for the tournament

The world juniors open on Boxing Day. Canada, Czechia, Latvia, Norway and Switzerland play the preliminary round at Rogers Place in Edmonton, and Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States play at the Marchant Crane Centrium in Red Deer. The Province of Alberta committed $11 million in February 2024 to host events tied to the tournament.4

Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Latvia have said their teams will refuse to face Russia, The Canadian Press reported. Hockey Canada thanked the government and said it would meet its board of directors this week “to discuss next steps.”5

Alberta Sports Minister Andrew Boitchenko said the IIHF would “determine its next steps as an organization” and that the province's focus “remains on working with our partners to deliver a successful 2027 world juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer.”5

What happens next

The IIHF said Nov. 4 that “more information will be shared in the coming days.” Hockey Canada said its board of directors would meet this week. The tournament schedule the IIHF released with Hockey Canada on Sept. 22 has 10 teams in two groups of five.4,5,6

How we report

The Canadian News and Stats news desk researched and wrote this story with AI assistance. We checked every fact against the primary source linked beside it: government releases, court and police records, official data and company filings. Posts on X and Reddit helped us find the story; we do not use them as proof. Times are Eastern. Read our standards.

See an error? Corrections appear in the update thread at the top of this page with the date and time.

Sources

Show all 8 sourcesHide sources
  1. Global Affairs Canada. "Statement from Canada on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sport." Nov. 3, 2026. canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2026/11/statement-from-canada-on-the-participation-of-russian-and-belarusian-athletes-in-international-sport.html
  2. Justice Laws Website. "Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, section 22.1." Act current to Oct. 19, 2026. laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-2.5/section-22.1.html
  3. Court of Arbitration for Sport. "CAS provides update on procedures concerning Russian participation in international sport and issues ice hockey ruling." Media release (PDF). Oct. 30, 2026. tas-cas.org/generated/assets/lists/dceab111-07bc-435f-b5f9-de88eff9db72/CAS%20Media%20Release_12573%20et%20al_final.pdf
  4. International Ice Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada. "Schedule and individual ticket information announced for IIHF World Junior Championship 2027." Sept. 22, 2026. iihf.com/en/events/2027/wm20/news/75975/schedule_and_individual_ticket_information_announc
  5. The Canadian Press. "Carney says Russian team won't be allowed at Alberta's world junior hockey tournament." Nov. 3, 2026. thecanadianpressnews.ca/prairies_bc/alberta/carney-says-russian-team-wont-be-allowed-at-albertas-world-junior-hockey-tournament/article_2e318eff-db6d-59b4-a3fe-78a14730582d.html
  6. International Ice Hockey Federation. "IIHF statement." Nov. 4, 2026. iihf.com/en/news/76736/iihf_statement
  7. The Canadian Press. "Canada dismisses fears of international blowback over Russian world junior hockey ban." Nov. 4, 2026. thecanadianpressnews.ca/sports/canada-dismisses-fears-of-international-blowback-over-russian-world-junior-hockey-ban/article_964da326-25dc-51b8-bc5d-bbed840ede64.html
  8. International Ice Hockey Federation. "IIHF statement on CAS decision." Oct. 30, 2026. iihf.com/en/news/76707/iihf_statement_on_cas_decision