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Adam van Koeverden, Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport, has cast doubt on whether Russia can compete as a neutral team at the upcoming world junior hockey championship in Alberta.
The development follows last month’s Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling the International Ice Hockey Federation must reinstate Russia in international hockey, after Russia and Belarus were barred from international hockey competition in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said last week Russian and Belarusian athletes could not compete in Canada representing their countries while the war continues. The government’s Nov. 3 statement, however, allowed individual athletes to compete as neutrals but did not clarify whether that provision could extend to a Russian team at the men’s under-20 tournament, which opens Dec. 26.
However, Van Koeverden clarified Monday the neutral athlete designation used for Russians at other events applied to individuals, not teams.
Van Koeverden’s comments come after Norway’s hockey federation said Sunday the IIHF had informed it that Russia would be added to the world juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer next month at Norway’s expense.
“This is a really quickly evolving situation with Norway,” van Koeverden said from a sports summit in Ottawa. “I’ve had conversations with ministers of sport from Finland, from Sweden, and from Norway and from Germany. Hoping to meet with the minister from Czechia this week as well as others to discuss this quickly evolving situation.
“The Prime Minister was extremely clear that sport will not be used for propaganda on Canadian soil, and the notion that there, you know, might be accommodations is one that the Prime Minister was extraordinarily clear about.
“So we’ll continue to move forward working with Hockey Canada. And you note that the IIHF, their previous position was aligned with Canada’s, and we want to continue to ensure that great Canadian hockey, great international hockey is seen here on Canadian soil.”
The IIHF has not formally announced any changes to the world junior participants, and its website still lists Norway among the 10 teams in the tournament.
The Swedish Ice Hockey Association said Monday it was also informed of the new development, while adding it will maintain its stance of not competing against Russia.
Sweden feels deeply for Norwegian junior team
The Swedish association told The Canadian Press on Monday it sympathized with Norway, which qualified for the tournament but now risks losing its place.
“I feel deeply for Norway’s national junior team, which qualified for the world juniors but now risks losing its place in the tournament. It is difficult to see this as anything other than unfair,” said SIHA secretary general Tony Wirehn.
The Finnish Ice Hockey Association also reiterated Monday it would not play Russia if the war against Ukraine continues. It said it would not speculate further and would wait for the outcome.
Neither federation said whether it would play a Russian team competing under a neutral designation.
Norway said Sunday it still hoped to compete in the tournament.
“The situation is still unclear,” Norway’s hockey secretary general Peter Salsten said in a statement posted on the association’s website and translated from Norwegian. “This makes us hope that the last word has not been said about our participation in Canada.”
Hockey Canada referred The Canadian Press to the federal government’s Nov. 3 statement and said it had nothing to add.
The IIHF and Russian Hockey Federation did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.
Individual Russian athletes who have competed at the Olympics since the war began have done so as neutrals.
Russian and Belarusian professional tennis players have continued to compete as individuals under neutral status on the ATP and WTA tours, including at the National Bank Open events in Toronto and Montreal.
World Aquatics barred Russian and Belarusian athletes from its events in 2022, then allowed them to return as neutrals the following year. In April, it lifted restrictions on senior athletes, allowing them to compete under their national flags and with their anthems, subject to screening requirements.
