OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Russian Hockey Federation is seeking to have next month’s world junior hockey championships either relocated or canceled in light of Canada’s decision to bar Russia from participating in the tournament.
Russian news agency TASS on Thursday also that reported hockey federation president Vladislav Tretiak threatened to seek compensation from Canada and potentially Germany, host of the 2027 men’s world championship in May, if Russia is denied participation.
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Speaking at a presidential sports council meeting in Moscow, Tretiak said he’s also asked the International Ice Hockey Federation’s ethics council to investigate and punish national federations organizing boycotts of games involving Russia.
“There are rules: if a team does not take the ice, it receives a forfeit loss and sanctions are imposed,” Tretiak told TASS in comments translated from Russian. “The IIHF has a way out — either allow us to participate or, if we cannot enter Canada, move the championship, not hold it at all or impose sanctions on Canada.”
Tretiak spoke a day after Canada confirmed Russian players would not be permitted to compete at the 10-nation tournament set to open in Alberta on Dec. 26. Canada took its position in response to a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling last month that reinstated Russia to international hockey.
The ruling overturned the IIHF’s Russian ban, which was imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The IIHF has declined to comment on the dispute and is caught in the middle of an escalating feud. Numerous hockey federations, including Finland and Sweden, have announced they will refuse to play games scheduled against Russia. Several tournament sponsors have also threatened to bow out if Russia is allowed to compete.
The IIHF would be hard-pressed to relocate the junior tournament at such a late stage, and it would be difficult to find a nation — other than Russia — to step in as host.
On Sunday, Norway announced it was informed by the IIHF that it would be bumped from the tournament to make room for Russia. The IIHF has yet to announce that change.
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