Norway's ice hockey federation says the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has instructed it to take the steps needed to bring Russia back into the world junior championship, according to NRK. The national body said it received word from the IIHF on Saturday, following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday 30 October.
The practical effect, as reported by NRK, is that Russia would take Norway's place in the tournament schedule. Russia is ranked tenth on its return, which leaves Norway — the lowest-ranked team — moved down to Division 1A, a lower-tier championship played in Hungary earlier in December.
Why it matters
Norway had been preparing to travel to Canada for the flagship under-20 tournament at the end of December. Instead it is now facing a sudden switch to a different competition, in a different country, at a different time of year.
The case also puts the IIHF's decision-making under sharp scrutiny. Norway says it has consistently argued that Russia should not compete internationally while the war in Ukraine continues, and it is not alone: Switzerland has said it will not play against Russia, and Canada's government has said Russian players will be refused visas.
Petter Salsten of the Norwegian federation told NRK that the organisation is aware of the situation and of the measures the IIHF feels compelled to take, and will wait for further information from the governing body in the coming days. He said Norway had previously made its position clear that Russia should not be able to take part internationally for as long as the war in Ukraine lasts.
Salsten added that the episode lays bare how difficult it is, in practice, to reinstate a country at short notice, and what immediate consequences that creates for everyone involved.
A schedule turned upside down
The Swiss federation wrote on Saturday that Russia would replace Norway in the championship lineup, NRK reports. For Norway, that means plans for Canada must be reworked. Salsten told NRK that the moment it becomes clear this is how things will stand, everything has to be reorganised from scratch.
He said the federation will hold off for now and is waiting for more word at the start of next week, adding that the outcome needs to be settled as quickly as possible.
Norway's objection is not the only obstacle. Switzerland, which had been due to face Norway, has stated it refuses to play Russia. Canada's authorities have made clear that Russian players will not be granted visas to enter the country for the junior championship. Several participating nations have also said they will not take part, or will not meet Russia, if they are drawn against them.
Those combined positions are why Salsten told NRK he hopes the last word has not been spoken on Norway's participation in Canada in December.
Criticism of the governing body
The situation has drawn blunt criticism in Norway. NRK quotes Saltvedt — identified in its reporting only by surname — describing the IIHF's operations as chaotic at present and saying the federation clearly does not have control over what it is doing.
Saltvedt argued that admitting Russia at another country's expense is the wrong solution, and that the IIHF is on course to lose all credibility. In his view, the first step should be to convene an extraordinary meeting of member nations and carry out a far more thorough review of how the problem is to be resolved.
He also said the international federation embarrassed itself with the reasoning it gave for excluding Russia in the first place, and that the current mess is a product of that. The only route he sees is a fresh decision reimposing Russia's suspension — though he acknowledged he does not know whether there is time to reach one.
NRK said it contacted the IIHF for comment on the case but had not received a reply at the time of publication.
What to watch: whether the IIHF convenes its members, and whether Norway's place in Canada survives the coming week.
