Edmonton and Red Deer host the world junior hockey championship starting Dec. 26, where the federal government announced it will block Russian and Belarusian players from entering Canada.
Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden stated Wednesday that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will apply individual assessments to prevent athletes and officials from both nations from crossing the border, Global News reported. The stance remains firm even for competitors holding valid Canadian visas.
The policy applies directly to the Canadian Hockey League, which serves as the umbrella organization for the nation’s top three major junior leagues and currently features Russian players on valid travel documents. According to the CHL, Russia led this year’s import draft with 32 selections out of 114 players chosen.
Wednesday’s announcement shuts down a prospective return for Russia following a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling last month, which ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to reinstate the country in international competition.
Norway’s hockey federation stated Sunday that the IIHF had informed them Russia would join the tournament at Norway’s expense. Norway qualified for the event and maintains its hope to compete, while the IIHF has not formally altered the tournament field and still lists Norway on its website.
Prime Minister Mark Carney stated last week that Russian and Belarusian athletes cannot compete in Canada while representing their countries as long as the war in Ukraine continues. When asked if players would be denied visas, Carney said there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada, and if you’re asking specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there, according to EssentiallySports.
Government officials previously indicated that individual athletes might compete under neutral designations, making team entry uncertain. Van Koeverden clarified Monday that neutrality applies strictly to individual athletes rather than entire teams.
National hockey federations from Finland, Sweden, Czechia, and Norway have declared their teams will refuse to play against Russian players. Russia and Belarus have faced international hockey bans since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
