Key facts
- Carney said Russian players would not be at the tournament, speaking at a press conference in Antigua, according to Reuters.
- Global Affairs Canada said the measure rests on authority under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
- Athletes competing as neutrals may still be admitted on an individual basis, the government said.
- The government said the position holds while Russia, with Belarus's support, continues its war against Ukraine.
- Several European hockey federations have said they would refuse to compete against Russia.
Canada will prevent Russia from competing in the World Junior Hockey Championship in Alberta, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on November 3, despite a court ruling ordering Russia's reinstatement to international hockey.
"So if you're asking specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there," Carney said during a press conference in Antigua, according to Reuters.
The announcement follows an October 30 ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that overturned Russia's exclusion from international hockey. The International Ice Hockey Federation said it was disappointed by the ruling but would work to implement it.
The Canadian government said it would use its authority under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols. The CAS ruling does not supersede Canada's immigration laws, allowing the government to take the move despite the decision. Athletes competing as neutrals may still be admitted on an individual basis.
The measure will remain in place as Russia, with the support of Belarus, continues its war against Ukraine, according to a government statement. The statement, issued from Global Affairs Canada, declares that Canada's position has not changed because Russia's actions have not changed, and that neither Russia nor Belarus should be formally represented in international sport while the war continues with Belarus's complicity.
The participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes under a neutral designation has previously been a subject of debate. A 2024 investigation by human rights organization Global Rights Compliance found that several athletes cleared to compete as neutrals at the Paris Olympics had violated eligibility rules by publicly supporting the invasion, or by having links to Russian and Belarusian military organizations, as previously reported by the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had urged governments to deny Russian athletes entry following the decision. Several European hockey federations have also announced that they would refuse to compete against Russia.
The World Junior Hockey Championship is scheduled to take place in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, from December 26, 2026, to January 5, 2027.