--- title: "IIHF Includes Russia in 2027 World Junior Championship Instead of Norway: Kyiv Calls for Boycott" description: "The IIHF has included Russia in the 2027 World Junior Championship, moving Norway to Division 1A following a CAS ruling. The Ukrainian Sports Minister has called for a boycott." date: 2026-11-08T14:46:36.503Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/iihf-includes-russia-2027-world-juniors tags: [iihf, hockey, russia, norway, ukraine, world-junior-championship, cas] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # IIHF Includes Russia in 2027 World Junior Championship Instead of Norway: Kyiv Calls for Boycott ![IIHF logo on the scoreboard cube above an ice arena during an international hockey game](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/08/iihf-rossiya-molodezhny-chm-2027-norvegiya-boikot/iihf-rossiya-molodezhny-chm-2027-norvegiya-boikot-1.webp) ## Key Points - The IIHF included Russia in the elite division of the 2027 World Juniors, relegating Norway to Division 1A following the October 30 CAS ruling. - The Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation does not support Russia's participation and awaits clarification from the IIHF. - Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi called for a boycott and an investigation into those responsible. - Actual Russian participation is in doubt: Canada does not intend to issue visas, and several countries are ready to refuse to play. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has updated the schedule for the 2027 World Junior Championship, including the Russian national team. As a result, Russia has taken a place among the ten participants of the elite division, while Norway, which had the lowest ranking among the teams, was relegated to Division 1A. This was officially announced on November 8 by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation, citing information received from the IIHF. According to Ukrainian and Russian sports media, the change in format is a direct consequence of the October 30 decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ordered the federation to take steps to return the Russian junior team to international competition. ### CAS Ruling as a Trigger for Reassignment The key factor in updating the calendar was the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on October 30. Under this ruling, the IIHF is required to ensure the return of the Russian junior team to the international calendar. On this basis, the federation revised the composition of the elite division for 2027, including Russia while simultaneously removing the lowest-ranked team, Norway. Thus, the reassignment is formally regulatory and based on the arbitration ruling rather than the sporting form of the teams. ### Norway’s Position: Participation Not Supported General Secretary of the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation, Petter Salsten, stated that the organization does not support Russia's participation in international competitions as long as the war against Ukraine continues. However, the final situation regarding the Norwegian team's participation in the tournament remains uncertain: the federation is awaiting further information from the IIHF on how the decision will be implemented and what guarantees will remain for the Norwegian hockey players who fairly earned their place among the best. ### Reaction from Kyiv: Criticism and Call for Boycott Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports, Matviy Bidnyi, sharply criticized the updated championship scheme. He stated that Norwegian hockey players had fairly earned their right to compete among the world's strongest teams and that "the consequence of this decision is unacceptable and undermines the principles of fair play." The minister emphasized that the attempt to deprive Norway of its spot in the elite division for the sake of returning the aggressor state's team is "a direct disregard for the entire sports system." He also warned that a similar scenario could be applied to the 2027 World Championship, where the Ukrainian national team is set to compete, and called for an immediate and transparent investigation into the individuals involved in making the decision, specifically mentioning the potential role of former IIHF president René Fasel, who received Russian citizenship in 2023. ### Visas and Boycott: Blocking Actual Participation Despite the formal inclusion in the scheme, Russia's actual participation remains in question. The Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation reported that Canadian authorities do not intend to issue visas to Russian players for the tournament, and a number of countries have warned of their readiness to refuse matches against the Russian team. Minister Bidnyi supported Canada's visa restrictions as an effective tool for exclusion, thanked the countries that announced their refusal to play against Russia, and called on the government of Germany—the host of the 2027 World Championship—to impose similar restrictions. "We call on all participating countries of the championship to support a boycott," he declared, adding that "international sports are not a platform for whitewashing an aggressor." ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Россию включили в молодежный ЧМ-2027 вместо Норвегии: Бедный призвал к бойкоту](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/rosiyu-vklyuchili-molodizhnogo-chs-2027-zamist-1794148783.html) - Primary source: inclusion of Russia, relegation of Norway to 1A, October 30 CAS ruling, statements by Salsten and Bidnyi, Canadian visa restrictions. - [Скандальное решение IIHF. Россию включили в число участников молодежного чемпионата мира вместо ...](https://sport.nv.ua/hockey/molodezhnyy-chempionat-mira-po-hokkeyu-2027-rossiyu-vklyuchili-norvegiya-pod-ugrozoy-50657329.html) - Confirms Russia's inclusion and the threat to Norway's place in the elite division. - [Россию включили в состав участников молодежного чемпионата мира вместо Норвегии](https://www.forbes.ru/sport/571935-rossiu-vklucili-v-sostav-ucastnikov-molodeznogo-cempionata-mira-vmesto-norvegii) - Confirms the replacement of Norway by Russia and relegation to Division 1A. - [Россию включили в календарь молодежного ЧМ по хоккею вместо Норвегии. Швейцария уже отказалась ...](https://www.fontanka.ru/2026/11/08/76752345/) - Confirms Russia's inclusion in the 2027 calendar and refusals from several countries to play. ## FAQ ### Why was Russia included in the 2027 World Juniors? Following an October 30 Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling that ordered the IIHF to return the Russian junior team to the international calendar. Russia entered the elite division in place of Norway, which had the lowest ranking. ### What is happening with Norway? Norway has been moved to Division 1A. The Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation does not support Russia's participation and is awaiting further information from the IIHF; the final situation regarding the Norwegian team's participation is not yet decided. ### Will Russia actually participate in the tournament? This is in question: according to the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation, Canada does not intend to issue visas to Russian players, and several countries are prepared to refuse to play against the Russian team.