At least seven national ice hockey federations have refused to sign the updated 2027 World Junior Championship schedule, which lists the Russian national team instead of Norway. This was announced by Frank Lutz, head of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB), during a meeting of the Bundestag Sports Committee.

Reason for the protest: Loss of place by Norway

According to Lutz, the reason for the refusal is the position of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which included the Russian national team as a participant in the junior championship, taking the place of the Norwegian team. As a result, the Norwegians lost their right to compete in the elite division of the tournament. The updated schedule was sent to national federations for verification, but according to sources, the majority of participants refused to confirm it.

Urgent call for a decision

Frank Lutz called on the IIHF not to delay resolving the issue of Russian participation. "We understand that a decision cannot come from nowhere overnight. But dragging it out for several more weeks is inconceivable to us," stated the official. According to him, the admission of the Russian team creates serious financial risks for the organizers: teams might refuse to play against the Russians, and fans might demand refunds for tickets.

Threat of repetition at the 2027 World Championship

A similar scenario, according to the German side, could repeat itself at the 2027 World Championship, which is scheduled to take place in Germany. Earlier, a number of national federations — Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia, and Denmark — announced their readiness to boycott matches against the Russian national team. The German Ice Hockey Federation, according to Lutz, is looking for ways to prevent Russian participation and had previously considered, among other options, refusing to host the tournament.

Context: CAS ruling and visa issues

The first major challenge for the IIHF will be the World Junior Championship, which will take place in Canada from December 26, 2026, to January 5, 2027. Previously, the Canadian side announced it would refuse to issue visas to Russian hockey players to participate in the tournament. A wave of protests among national federations began after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) satisfied an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation in late October 2026, obliging the IIHF to allow Russian teams to compete in international tournaments, including the 2027 junior and senior world championships.