Canadian Government Says Russian Players with Visas Will Still Be Barred From WJC
Officials said individual Russian athletes may still compete as neutrals, but the team remains barred after a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling.
- On Wednesday, Canada announced it will prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering for the 2026 World Junior Championship in Alberta, even those holding valid visas.
- Secretary of State for Sport Adam Van Koeverden stated these measures counter Russia's war in Ukraine, overriding a recent Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to reinstate Russian teams.
- Van Koeverden clarified the government aims to prevent Russia and Belarus from using events as platforms for "state representation, political legitimacy and propaganda," explicitly ruling out neutral team participation.
- Hockey federations from Finland, Sweden, Czechia, and Norway have declared their teams will refuse to compete against Russian players, while the International Ice Hockey Federation has yet to clarify Norway's tournament status.
- The World Junior Championship begins December 26 in Alberta. Prime Minister Mark Carney previously vowed Russian teams would "absolutely" not be allowed into the country as long as the war continues.
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110 Articles
Canada to bar Russian and Belarusian hockey players from 2026 World Juniors, even with valid visas
Floyd Brenz., Philippine Canadian Inquirer November 12, 2026 Canada will prevent Russian and Belarusian hockey players and team officials from entering the country to compete in next month’s World Junior […]
Approved for the tournament, but not for entry into the host country: Russia's U20 ice hockey players do not receive visas for the World Cup in Canada. For the World Cup 2027 in Germany a different solution is to be found.
Canada Will Not Issue Visas to Russian Hockey Players to Participate in the World Youth Championship
Canada will not issue visas to the Russian national team to participate in the 2027 World Youth Championship
Canada wants to deny the Russian ice hockey team participation in the upcoming U20 World Cup. According to media reports, the Canadian authorities do not want to issue visas to Russian players. The tournament takes place from December 26th to January 5th.
The International Sports Court had forced the return of Russian teams to the World Cup. Canada reacts with a drastic step.
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