--- title: "“Quiet Reintegration”: How Russia’s Return to Hockey Threatens Ukraine’s Elite Division" description: "FHU Sports Director Yuriy Kyrychenko describes Russia’s “quiet reintegration” into hockey: the IIHF has moved Norway out of the World Junior elite division to make room for Russia, jeopardizing Ukraine’s elite status." date: 2026-11-10T10:42:38.769Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/quiet-reintegration-russia-hockey-ukraine tags: [hockey, iihf, russia, ukraine, world-junior-championship, norway, canada] author: "Dmitriy Shatolov" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # “Quiet Reintegration”: How Russia’s Return to Hockey Threatens Ukraine’s Elite Division ![A man in a blue suit and tie sits on yellow stadium seats at a hockey rink.](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/10/tihaya-reintegraciya-rossii-v-hokkee-ukraina-iihf/tihaya-reintegraciya-rossii-v-hokkee-ukraina-iihf-1.webp) ## Key Points - According to the FHU, the IIHF is conducting a “quiet reintegration” of Russian teams; Belarusian squads were returned earlier at the U-18 and women’s levels. - Norway, the lowest-ranked team, has been moved from the elite World Junior division to Division 1A to make room for Russia. - Canada, which will host the World Juniors in December, stated it would not issue visas to Russians, contradicting the IIHF schedule. - The Ukrainian team, playing in Division 1A, attended the coordination meeting; the FHU is currently assessing risks and preparing legal action. In global hockey, according to the Ukrainian side, there is an unobtrusive process underway to return Russian national teams to the international calendar. Yuriy Kyrychenko, Sports Director of the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine (FHU), described it in an exclusive interview with Sport RBC.UA as a “quiet reintegration.” While it currently concerns Russian teams, Belarusian squads were returned earlier at the U-18 men’s level and in women’s competitions following an IIHF Council decision implemented by the Zurich congress. Kyrychenko emphasized that this decision was made “very quickly, almost on the fly.” ### Two IIHF Statements After the CAS Ruling Following the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Kyrychenko stated that the IIHF issued two statements. In the first, the federation said it disagreed with the CAS ruling and intended to convene a Council meeting to determine further steps. The second statement, released on November 4, said the Council was already at work, but no decision had been made yet. However, Kyrychenko noted that the statement mentioned the Belarusian national team, even though it was not a party in the CAS case — which concerned only Russia. Meanwhile, the IIHF announced that the Belarusian national and youth teams would not participate in the 2027 World Championships. ### Norway as the First Precedent The first practical consequence of this reintegration was the fate of the Norwegian national team at the World Junior Championship. According to data cited by Kyrychenko, a schedule appeared on the Swiss federation’s website where Russia replaced Norway in the elite division; the competition will take place in Canada in December. Norway, he noted, has publicly confirmed it is no longer among the elite division participants, being the lowest-ranked team among the World Junior participants. On Saturday afternoon, the Division 1A teams, where the Ukrainian national team competes, received an email from a general IIHF inbox announcing Russia’s reintegration, Norway’s relegation to Division 1A, and stating that the 1A format would now include seven teams. ### Canada Against the IIHF Schedule However, the schedule placing Russia in Canada has clashed with the host nation's official stance. According to Kyrychenko, a week before the schedule was published, Canada stated it did not plan to issue visas to Russians and did not want to see them among the participants of its World Junior Championship. Thus, a direct contradiction arose between the IIHF calendar and Canada’s position, which may determine whether Russian participation in the December tournament actually takes place. ### Division 1A Meeting and Ukraine’s Position On Monday, two days after the IIHF email, a meeting of the Division 1A teams was convened: the six teams originally scheduled to play, plus Norway, which unexpectedly received the “gift” of being relegated to this division. The meeting discussed the schedule, a draft of which had been prepared in advance and sent to the teams; formal approval and publication were planned for Tuesday. The Ukrainian team, as a participant, was represented at the meeting, and it was at this stage, Kyrychenko said, that opinions were voiced. He explained why he considers the IIHF’s actions a violation of its own rules, assessed the risks for the Ukrainian national team, and shared whether the FHU is preparing to challenge the international federation’s decisions in sports legal instances. ## Accounts differ ### Russian participation in the World Junior Championship in Canada - **IIHF (via published schedule):** Russia will replace Norway in the elite division of the World Junior Championship in Canada this December. ([sport.rbc.ua](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/rizik-99-kirichenko-zagrozu-ukrayini-cherez-1794307039.html)) - **Canada:** Canada does not plan to issue visas to Russians and does not want to see them as participants in its World Junior Championship. ([sport.rbc.ua](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/rizik-99-kirichenko-zagrozu-ukrayini-cherez-1794307039.html)) *Where they agree:* Norway has been removed from the elite division, and the IIHF schedule on the Swiss federation website places Russia in its spot for the December tournament in Canada. ## Fact-Check & Sources - ["Риск – 99%": Кириченко об угрозе для Украины из-за возвращения России в хоккей](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/rizik-99-kirichenko-zagrozu-ukrayini-cherez-1794307039.html) - Source: Exclusive interview with FHU Sports Director Yuriy Kyrychenko. Covers IIHF statements, the Norwegian situation, the Division 1A email, the team meeting, and Canada’s stance. Some details, such as the email content and meeting proceedings, are reported based on a single source. ## FAQ ### What is happening with Russia's return to world hockey? According to FHU Sports Director Yuriy Kyrychenko, a “quiet reintegration” of Russian teams is underway. Belarusian teams, he noted, were returned earlier at the U-18 and women’s levels. ### What happened to the Norwegian team? Norway, the lowest-ranked team in the World Juniors, has been moved from the elite division to Division 1A to clear a spot for Russia. The IIHF states the 1A format will now include seven teams. ### Will Russia participate in the World Junior Championship in Canada? A schedule on the Swiss federation website shows Russia replacing Norway in the elite division for the December tournament in Canada. However, Canada has stated it will not issue visas to Russians, contradicting the IIHF schedule. ### How is Ukraine defending its position? The Ukrainian team, competing in Division 1A, was represented at the meeting to discuss the schedule. Kyrychenko explained why he views the IIHF’s actions as a rule violation and noted that the FHU is preparing to defend its rights in international sports courts.