Court of Arbitration for Sport Russia readmission ice hockey IIHF, Digi Mart USA News: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has defended its ruling on the consequences of Russia’s readmission to international ice hockey tournaments and found that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) failed in its duties. The judges concluded that the federation did not submit sufficient evidence to establish the legal requirements for excluding Russian teams.
The court also stated that the possible negative consequences of the ruling, as well as the question of a neutral status for Russian teams, were neither supported by sufficient evidence nor formally requested by the IIHF during the proceedings. The newly elected IIHF president, Franz Reindl, initially said he was “surprised” by the scope of the decision and how quickly it took effect.
A number of nations, including world champion Finland, have announced they will not play against Russian teams in tournaments for as long as the war in Ukraine continues. The controversy directly affects the 2027 World Championship in Germany.
The German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) sees its tournament at risk, and DEB board chairman Frank Lutz did not rule out giving up the host role.
The German federal government sharply criticized the CAS ruling and said Russian national players could potentially be denied visas for entry. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had previously announced a similar approach for the World Junior Championship in Canada at the end of this year.
In a statement, the CAS acknowledged the “controversial reactions” to its arbitration award. It said its decision was based on the legal substance of the appeal and the arguments and evidence presented by the parties.
According to the court, both the Russian ice hockey federation and the IIHF were aware of the legal questions to be addressed and of the consequences of granting or dismissing the appeal.
