Finland refuses hockey games against Russia
The Finnish federation will not play international matches against Russian teams while the war in Ukraine continues.
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The Finnish Ice Hockey Association announced on Monday that national teams will not play against Russia while the war in Ukraine continues. Finland is responding to a ruling that makes the return of Russian teams to international ice hockey tournaments possible.
The Finnish federation says its national teams will refuse to play against Russia in international tournaments while the war in Ukraine continues. According to spokesperson Henna Malmberg, Finland does not expect to be the only country seeking to avoid participation in such matches.
The issue arose after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled last week that the International Ice Hockey Federation, IIHF, must readmit Russian teams. The first consequences could become visible at the world junior championships, which begin in western Canada at the end of December.
The practical consequences of a Finnish boycott have not yet been worked out. The IIHF rules state that a team failing to appear can face disciplinary measures. On Monday, the IIHF had not yet responded to questions from The Associated Press about the precise consequences of Finland’s position.
The IIHF had previously decided to exclude Russian teams from several tournaments in the 2026–2027 season. The federation cited safety, feasibility and the integrity of the sport. According to the IIHF, it would assess separately in November whether Russia can participate in the 2027 women’s world championships.
Uncertainty over the tournaments is also growing outside Finland. Germany, host of the 2027 men’s world championship, is examining whether the event can go ahead under these circumstances, according to the German ice hockey federation. The federation cites additional security costs and the consequences of Russian participation as issues requiring attention.
The issue therefore concerns more than whether individual matches are played. Organisers, sponsors and other national federations must also determine whether participation in sport is compatible with their security policies and their position on the war. Sweden has reportedly criticised Russia’s return, but said it does not plan to join a boycott.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Finnish Ice Hockey Association does not want to play against Russia while the war in Ukraine continues.
- The CAS has made the return of Russian teams to international ice hockey tournaments possible.
- The IIHF and national federations still have to determine how matches, security and disciplinary consequences will be handled in practice.
Left
Arguments Sport cannot be separated from a war in which Russia is internationally isolated; participation without conditions could be seen as normalisation.
Values International solidarity, human rights and institutional responsibility.
Consequences A boycott could maintain pressure on Russia, but could also divide athletes and tournaments further.
Centre
Arguments The decision should be made for each event on the basis of safety, feasibility and the integrity of the competition.
Values Institutional rules, predictability and the protection of participants.
Consequences A controlled approach could allow participation without forcing federations to adopt a single political position in advance.
Right
Arguments Sports federations should act cautiously and not impose political exclusion if participants meet the formal sporting conditions.
Values Equal treatment, legal certainty and the separation of sport and politics.
Consequences A boycott could cause legal disputes, financial damage and the unequal application of rules.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s core is directly confirmed by AP and is consistent with the IIHF’s public decisions. The uncertainty over the practical and disciplinary consequences has been explicitly retained.
- confirmed The Finnish Ice Hockey Association does not want to play against Russia while the war in Ukraine continues. — This is stated in the AP report of 2 November 2026. source
- confirmed The CAS ruled that Russian teams must be readmitted to international ice hockey tournaments. — AP and DW describe this ruling as the reason for the new situation. source
- confirmed The IIHF previously excluded Russia from several tournaments in the 2026–2027 season. — The IIHF names four excluded championships and a separate assessment for the women’s tournament. source
- confirmed Germany is examining whether hosting the 2027 men’s world championship can go ahead. — DW quotes the German ice hockey federation on possible security costs and returning the event. source
- confirmed A forfeit can lead to disciplinary measures under the IIHF rules. — AP refers to the applicable IIHF regulations. source
Editor's note
It is certain that the Finnish Ice Hockey Association announced on 2 November that it would refuse to play against Russia while the war continues. The consequences for tournaments and possible disciplinary measures have not yet been definitively established.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „ijshockey finland”
- De Telegraaf — „ijshockey finland”
- AD — „ijshockey finland”