MONTREAL — A decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport requiring Russian teams to once again be allowed to participate in international ice hockey tournaments is “unwelcome,” Canada’s Prime Minister says Marc Carney said Friday in an interview with POLITICO.
CAS has ruled that the International Ice Hockey Federation can no longer ban Russia from participating in the upcoming World Junior Championship in Canada in December, as well as the men’s and women’s world championships in May and November next year, among other competitions.
On the sidelines of the EU-Canada summit in Montreal, Carney said he was unaware of the decision, but noted, “It’s not welcome,” adding, “I’ll think about it.”
Moscow has long used the sport to project its soft power abroad, and the move could make Canada an early test of Russia’s return to international hockey, even as the war in Ukraine continues and other federations warn of security and political ramifications.
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