Carney says Russian team won’t be allowed at Alberta’s world junior hockey tournament

In a statement Tuesday, the federal government said it would use its immigration powers to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols.

“This measure is not directed at the Russian and Belarusian people. Rather, it is intended to prevent the governments of Russia and Belarus from using international sporting events hosted in Canada as platforms for state representation, political legitimacy and propaganda,” the statement said.

The government said entry would be assessed individually, while athletes competing as neutrals could still participate in international sporting events hosted by Canada.

Carney’s comments come after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Friday that Russia must be reinstated to international hockey competition, starting with the world junior tournament. Russian teams have been banned since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyarev said in an Oct. 30 statement that the CAS ruling was final and that Russia would work with the International Ice Hockey Federation to secure its return to competition, starting with the upcoming world junior tournament.

Several European hockey federations, including Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Latvia, have said their teams will refuse to face Russia.

“We respect the decisions of the Finns, the Czechs, the Swedes, other nations, but this is a decision we take on our own,” Carney said.

Hockey Canada says it has been consulting with the International Ice Hockey Federation and other stakeholders about the potential impact on the tournament.

Earlier Tuesday, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha thanked the federations that had refused to play Russia and urged other hockey powers, including co-host Canada, to follow suit.

“If CAS lacks a moral compass, let’s show that hockey still has values. Refuse to play against Russia and deny visas to its players,” he wrote in a post on X.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress had also urged Ottawa to deny visas to Russian players, with senior policy adviser Orest Zakydalsky calling the CAS ruling “a disgrace and entirely unjustified.”

The world junior tournament begins Dec. 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer.

Sweden is the defending champion and one of 10 teams currently set to compete at the world junior tournament, along with Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, the United States, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, Norway and Finland.

“The Swedish line was and is crystal clear: Sweden will not play ice hockey matches against Russia in the situation we are in right now,” the Swedish Ice Hockey Association said in a statement. “The decision does not mean that Sweden will refrain from participating in World Cup tournaments where Russia is participating.”

Norway has also refused to face Russia at the 2027 men’s world championship. Norwegian Ice Hockey Association general secretary Petter Salsten told The Associated Press that Norway could be dropped from the world juniors to make room for Russia.

Finland’s federation said no player or team official would be obliged to take part in a tournament involving Russia or Belarus, and that it supported those who chose not to.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday the province would comply with the CAS ruling.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Antigua and Bill Graveland in Calgary.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Carney says Russian team won’t be allowed at Alberta’s world junior hockey tournament

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