IIHF bans Russia from men's World Championships until 2027

Russia has been barred from competing in the men's Ice Hockey World Championships through 2027, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced on Thursday. The decision follows an assessment of Russia's applications to participate in various IIHF tournaments.

Russia had submitted bids for inclusion in the men's, women's, under-20, and under-18 World Championships. However, the IIHF council reviewed these applications and concluded that the country would not be granted permission to compete in the men's events. The ban also extends to the under-20 and under-18 tournaments, effectively barring Russian junior national teams from major international competitions.

The IIHF stated that the application concerning the women's World Championships would be evaluated at a later date. Previously, the IIHF had indicated that Russia's participation in each national team tournament would be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Russia was initially excluded from international ice hockey tournaments in 2022 in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.