--- title: "Seven federations refuse to sign 2027 World Junior Championship schedule over Russia's return" description: "At least seven national federations have refused to sign the 2027 World Junior Championship schedule due to Russia's return, says DEB head Frank Lutz. Canada has already refused to issue visas to Russians." date: 2026-11-13T13:01:36.352Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/seven-federations-refuse-2027-world-junior-schedule tags: [ice-hockey, iihf, world-junior-championship, russia, germany] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Seven federations refuse to sign 2027 World Junior Championship schedule over Russia's return ![Ice hockey players in red Russian national team jerseys standing on the ice arena](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/13/sem-federacij-otkazalis-podpisat-kalendar-mchm-2027/sem-federacij-otkazalis-podpisat-kalendar-mchm-2027-1.webp) ## Key Points - At least seven national federations have refused to verify the updated 2027 WJC schedule including Russia. - The IIHF included Russia instead of Norway, stripping the latter of its spot in the elite division. - Frank Lutz warned of financial risks for organizers and urged the IIHF to make a swift decision. - Canada refused to grant visas to Russian hockey players; the tournament runs from Dec 26, 2026, to Jan 5, 2027. - The CAS ruling in late October 2026 obligated the IIHF to admit Russian teams to the 2027 world championships. 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. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Семь стран отказались подписывать календарь молодежного ЧМ по хоккею из-за россиян](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/sim-krayin-vidmovilisya-pidpisuvati-kalendar-1794572710.html) - Original source: Frank Lutz's statement in the Bundestag, refusal of seven federations, Canada's visa refusal, CAS ruling. - [Семь стран отказались подписать календарь МЧМ-2027 со сборной России](https://www.gazeta.press/sport/news/2026/11/11/29726245.shtml) - Confirms refusal to verify the schedule, replacement of Norway, list of six federations for the senior 2027 WC, and date of the CAS ruling (Oct 30). - [Семь стран не хотят подписывать расписание МЧМ с участием России](https://rznonline.ru/news/sports/item/sem-stran-ne-hotyat-podpisyvat-raspisanie-mchm-s-uchastiem-rossii/) - Consistent with the fact that seven federations refused to approve the schedule. - [Семь сборных заявили о бойкоте матчей с россиянами на молодежном ЧМ по хоккею](https://prokazan.ru/ne-u-nas/view/srazu-7-stran-otkazalis-podpisyvat-raspisanie-molodeznogo-cm-po-hokkeu) - Confirms that at least seven federations, including the German one, refused to approve the 2027 WJC schedule in Canada. ## FAQ ### How many federations refused to sign the 2027 WJC schedule? According to DEB head Frank Lutz, at least seven national federations have refused to verify the updated schedule. ### Why did Norway lose its spot in the elite division? The IIHF included the Russian national team in the World Junior Championship, taking Norway's place and causing them to lose their spot in the elite division. ### When and where will the 2027 World Junior Championship take place? The tournament will take place in Canada from December 26, 2026, to January 5, 2027; Canada has refused to issue visas to Russian hockey players.