German government intervenes as Russian eligibility threatens 2027 hockey worlds

The ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has thrown the ice hockey world into chaos. Russia is once again permitted to compete in tournaments such as the World Championship in Germany. Now the German government is stepping in.

Government Intervenes After CAS Ruling

The German government is searching for a solution to ensure the Ice Hockey World Championship in May 2027 can still take place in Germany. Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius explained, following talks with the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), that both organizations would receive appropriate support. A diplomatic path is apparently also being pursued to find a solution without Russia's participation.

"Our goal must be to hold the tournaments as planned," Kornelius said. "However, given the boycotts in the event of Russia's admission, that would be practically impossible. And that is why we now want to explore possibilities through dialogue as to how we can still let the tournament take place."

Background: The CAS Ruling

The CAS ruling lifted the IIHF's suspension of Russian teams from World Championships for 2027, which had been imposed following the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The decision caused incomprehension not only in Germany. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation had appealed the exclusion by the world governing body to the CAS. Numerous nations announced after the ruling that they would boycott potential World Championship games against Russia. Key World Championship sponsors also intend to withdraw from the tournament should Russia actually be permitted to participate.

DEB Considered Returning Hosting Rights

The DEB had considered returning the hosting rights for the 2027 World Championship it had won, and had also approached the German government. "My concern is that we now solve the situation in ice hockey. It is indeed very burdened now by the withdrawal announcements of many federations. The German government supports the German Ice Hockey Federation in its efforts to reach an amicable solution here," Kornelius said.

Putin Criticizes Nations' Actions

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin accused some countries of not being prepared to honor obligations they had once entered into, speaking before Russian government representatives. Putin criticized unnamed countries for political restrictions against Russian athletes. He described it as a gross violation of law, of judicial decisions, and thus of democratic institutions.

Nations Announce Boycotts

Federations including Finland, Sweden, Czechia, Denmark, Norway, and Latvia have announced they will not play against Russia as long as the war of aggression against Ukraine continues. For the U20 World Championship in December and January, host Canada had already announced it would not issue visas to Russian athletes.

German Players Decline Comment

At the Deutschland Cup currently taking place in Düsseldorf, German national players declined to comment on the topic. "The DEB has given its word on this, and we will leave it at that," said former NHL forward Tobias Rieder of EHC Red Bull München. Forward Dominik Bokk of the Kölner Haie expressed himself similarly: "The DEB has issued a statement, we are focusing on ourselves and not thinking about it too much."

DEB Statement and IIHF Deliberations

In the aforementioned statement, DEB board chairman Frank Lutz described the ruling as a fundamental change to the starting situation for the World Championship: "Admitting Russia has significant security-related, political, and economic consequences for us as hosts." Lutz later raised the return of the World Championship as a "possible option." The World Ice Hockey Federation, led by German president Franz Reindl, has been deliberating since Monday on how to proceed following the CAS ruling — so far without result.

Latvia's Coach Criticizes IIHF

For Latvia's national coach Arturs Irbe, the world governing body bears responsibility for the ruling on the return of Russian teams. "It's quite simple: the reasoning for why the IIHF excluded them from international competitions was very weak and did not really address the actual concerns," said the longtime NHL goaltender at the Deutschland Cup.

The CAS also referred in a statement to the governing body's lack of evidence. This was "probably more diplomatic in nature than a genuine justification for why they should not participate," Irbe believes.