Carney says Russia will not play at 2027 world juniors

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Russia will not compete at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Alberta, despite a ruling requiring Russian teams to be eligible for the tournament. The championship is scheduled to begin Dec. 26, with games in Edmonton and Red Deer. Carney made the announcement Tuesday while attending the Commonwealth Summit in Antigua. He said Russian athletes would not compete for their country in Canada while Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. His remarks addressed Russia’s participation specifically in the world juniors; he did not describe a formal visa decision or legal instrument implementing the exclusion. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Oct. 30 that the International Ice Hockey Federation must reinstate Russian teams in its tournaments, beginning with the world juniors. The ruling followed an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. Russia and Belarus have been excluded from international hockey competitions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The IIHF said it was disappointed with the ruling but would act in accordance with it. That position leaves the federation to address the conflict between the CAS...