Sweden, Czechs, and Four Other Nations Join Hockey Boycott of Russia

The men's ice hockey world championship is facing a fracture as six of its 16 participating nations commit to skipping matches against Russia. This move follows a recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that requires the International Ice Hockey Federation to reinstate Russian teams in international play.

Sweden, the Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark, Latvia, and Finland will not play Russia at next year's tournament. The Swedish federation announced its decision on Tuesday, marking a shift from its position earlier in the week. Anders Larsson, the head of the Swedish federation, stated that the Three Crowns will not face Russia in upcoming world championship events. The Czech federation also confirmed its participation in the boycott after previously indicating it would wait for a board meeting.

Norway and Denmark have also formally joined the group. Norway cited player safety and mental health as primary reasons for the decision. Petter Salsten, the general secretary for the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association, noted that Norway was the last team to qualify for the world juniors. He warned via email that if Russia is added to that roster, Norway faces a high probability of being removed from the tournament to make space.

Latvia reaffirmed its long-standing policy of avoiding matches against Russia and Belarus. Meanwhile, Austria told the Associated Press it is currently evaluating whether to join the boycott. Germany remains uncertain about hosting the men's championship due to cost and security concerns. These developments deepen the rift in the sport just as the IIHF was ordered to bring Russian teams back into competition starting with the world juniors in Canada next month.

The boycott has triggered reactions from major commercial partners. Nokian Tyres, a Finnish tire manufacturer, announced it will stop sponsoring the world championship if Russia participates. Tiina Frazer, a senior vice president at the company, said continuing the sponsorship under current circumstances would not align with the company's values. AJ Products, a Swedish furniture maker that has sponsored the tournament since 1989, requested that its logo not be displayed if Russia plays.

The situation mirrors a similar standoff in soccer following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, where potential World Cup qualifying opponents threatened to boycott. In that instance, FIFA successfully argued at CAS that excluding Russia was necessary to prevent harm to the competition. The women's world championship beginning in Denmark this week is not affected by the recent ruling and will proceed without Russia.