Canada Confirms No Entry for Russians With or Without Visa for World Junior Championships

Russia’s hopes of returning to the World Junior Championships have suffered another major setback. Canada has now made its position clear: Russian players will not be allowed into the country for the tournament, even if they already possess valid visas.

According to TSN’s Gord Miller, the Canadian government has formally informed both Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) that it will refuse entry to Russian players seeking to participate in the upcoming championship. The restriction also covers Russians currently playing in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), meaning an existing Canadian visa will not guarantee them access to the tournament. Competing under a neutral flag will not change that decision either.

Van Koeverden’s Wednesday statement left little doubt about how Canada intends to handle the situation. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will assess Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials individually, with the authority to stop them from entering the country for the championship. Even those who already possess valid Canadian visas will not be exempt. “The Minister will take measures to individually assess and prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete, regardless of whether they already hold valid visas,” Van Koeverden said.

He was also careful to distinguish the restrictions from a blanket measure against Russian and Belarusian citizens. According to Van Koeverden, Canada’s concern lies with the way the two governments could use international sporting competitions to promote their political interests and seek legitimacy through sporting representation.

The government has no intention of changing that position while the conflict in Ukraine continues. “Canada’s position is unequivocal: as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine, there can be no return to business as usual. Canada will continue to stand with Ukraine,” he added.

The latest clarification also settles a question that had remained unanswered since Carney first addressed Russia’s participation. The Canadian Prime Minister had already ruled out Russian and Belarusian national teams while the war continued, but the government’s November 3 announcement left open the possibility of individual athletes appearing under a neutral designation. Van Koeverden has since drawn a clear distinction: the provision applies to individual athletes, not entire national teams.

The latest development comes amid an increasingly complicated dispute between the IIHF and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF). Russia and Belarus have remained excluded from international hockey since 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with Belarusian assistance.

However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled last month that the IIHF must reinstate Russian teams in international competitions. The panel concluded that the governing body had not provided sufficient evidence to justify maintaining the exclusion.

The decision immediately triggered resistance across international hockey. Several national federations, including Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Norway, have indicated that their teams would refuse to play against Russia. The IIHF has also faced pressure from sponsors concerned about the possibility of Russian participation.

The controversy has now reached the preparations for the 2027 World Junior Championship, scheduled to begin on December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.

Norway’s place in the tournament has become another major concern. The Norwegian Hockey Federation said on Sunday that the IIHF had informed it that Russia would replace Norway in the 10-team competition following the CAS ruling. However, Norway has maintained that it still hopes to participate.

The IIHF has yet to formally announce any changes to the tournament lineup, and its official website continues to list Norway among the participating nations.
Canada’s latest announcement further complicates the governing body’s plans. Even if the IIHF follows the CAS ruling and reinstates Russia, it cannot guarantee that Russian players will receive permission to enter the host country. The Russian Hockey Federation has reportedly also appealed to the IIHF to relocate the championship so its players can participate.

Another controversy surrounds the CAS decision

While the visa dispute continues, questions about the arbitration process behind Russia’s potential reinstatement have also emerged. Swiss publication Inside Paradeplatz, in an investigation by journalist Thomas Renggli, reported that Italian lawyer Giulio Palermo attended the Russian International Arbitration Congress in Moscow on September 22, weeks before becoming president of the CAS panel that handled the Russian hockey case.

Palermo was appointed to lead the three-member panel on October 9. It held hearings on October 23 and 26 before delivering its unanimous decision on October 30.

The timing attracted attention, although there is no direct evidence that Palermo’s Moscow visit influenced the verdict. CAS said the lawyer attended the conference privately and at his own expense, had no knowledge of the upcoming case and had not been informed that he would later handle the dispute.

The court also maintained that neither party challenged the panel’s independence or impartiality following his appointment. Palermo subsequently rejected the allegations against him, describing reports questioning his role as unfounded and defamatory.

The IIHF has disagreed with the CAS outcome but said it would comply with the ruling. It now faces the difficult task of balancing that legal obligation against the objections of participating nations and the Canadian government’s immigration restrictions.

With the opening game approaching on December 26, the uncertainty surrounding Russia’s return continues to grow. For now, Canada’s position leaves little room for interpretation, while Norway’s hopes of retaining its place in the tournament remain alive.

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