IIHF Says It Will Determine Russia's Eligibility on a Tournament-by-Tournament Basis in 2026-27
The federation said Russia will not be automatically reinstated after appeals and safety reviews, while Belarus has been restored to three youth and women’s events.
- On Friday, The International Ice Hockey Federation announced it reversed its previous decision to ban Russian national and club teams from all 2026-27 events, shifting to an event-by-event eligibility review.
- The Russian Ice Hockey Federation successfully appealed the council's decision to the IIHF Disciplinary Board, which annulled the ban on May 25, prompting the policy reversal.
- Although the ban was annulled, The IIHF Council explicitly confirmed Russia will not automatically be reintegrated; eligibility for future competitions requires an event-by-event assessment.
- Earlier this week, the IIHF announced the reintegration of Belarus into three 2026-27 tournaments: the U18 World Men, Women, and U18 World Women Championship Division IIIB events.
- Russia has been banned from IIHF competitions since 2022 following the nation's invasion of Ukraine, though the council stated it believes future participation can be managed in a "safe, responsible, and controlled manner.
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Ice hockey-IIHF to decide Russian participation on event-by-event basis after ban review
May 29 : The International Ice Hockey Federation has reversed its decision to ban Russian national and club teams from its 2026-27 competitions and will now review the country's eligibility on an event-by-event basis, the governing body announced on Friday. The move comes a day after the IIHF reinstated Bela
Associated Press News
IIHF says it will determine Russia's eligibility on a tournament-by-tournament basis in 2026-27
The International Ice Hockey Federation says it will determine the status of Russia's participation on an event-by-event basis for the 2026-27 season.
Belarus will field a total of three national teams in the various ice hockey competitions, but the Russian international team will remain in force.
The Russian state news agency TASS reports that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has reversed its decision to ban Russian national hockey teams from participating in international competitions in the 2026/27 season.
The International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) Disciplinary Committee has rejected the IIHF Board's decision to ban Russia and Belarus from international ice hockey.
hbl.fi
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) will make decisions on a tournament-by-tournament basis as to whether Russia will be allowed to participate in the 2026-2027 season, the federation wrote in a statement.
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