CAS rules Russia can return to international hockey competition

Russia's national hockey teams are expected to be back on the ice in international competitions as soon as December after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to welcome the country back into its events.

According to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the decision is final and cannot be appealed.

The IIHF banned Russia from competing in its events after the country's military invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. The Russia Ice Hockey Federation has appealed the ban for the past two years.

While Russia's national teams in other sports have also been banned from international competition since the start of the conflict, individual athletes have been allowed to compete under a neutral flag.

The International Olympic Committee did lift its ban on Russia athletics and officials in July, with that decision still under appeal after a Ukraine protest. Following the IOC's decision, the International Ice Hockey Federation still elected to keep Russia out of its events through 2027.

The new CAS decision means that Russia is now eligible to compete at the World Junior Championship from Dec. 26-Jan 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Canada. Following that event, the Under-18 Women's Championship is scheduled for January in the Czech Republic, while the Under-18 Men's Championship takes place at Duluth, Minn., in April and May.

But those events are merely the prelude to the May 14-30 Men's World Championship in Germany. Ukraine is part of a 16-team field that is already set. It is unclear how or if Russia would be included in the tournament.

--Field Level Media