Six Nations to Skip Games Against Russia at Next Year's Hockey Worlds

The dispute over Russian participation in international hockey has fractured the sport's governing body, with six of the 16 men's national teams now refusing to play against Russia at next year's world championship. The boycott movement expanded on Tuesday as Sweden, Norway, Latvia, and Denmark joined Finland in the refusal, creating a deep rift among European hockey powers just weeks before the tournament is scheduled to begin.

The decision follows a ruling last week by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to reinstate Russian teams. Russia has been excluded from the tournament since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The court ordered that Russian teams must be allowed to compete, starting with the world juniors tournament taking place in Canada next month.

Sweden, the 11-time champion, reversed its position from last week when it suggested a boycott was unlikely after the court ruling. Federation head Anders Larsson stated that the team, nicknamed the Three Crowns, will not play Russia in upcoming world championship tournaments. The federation will still participate in other games at the event. Norway announced its decision shortly after Sweden, citing the need to protect the safety and mental well-being of its players and staff during the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The Czech Republic also signed on to the boycott on Tuesday, after initially saying it would wait for a board meeting. Denmark and Latvia confirmed they would not play Russia. Latvia reaffirmed its stance against playing both Russia and its ally Belarus. Austria told the Associated Press it is considering joining the boycott and is coordinating with other European authorities to determine if a collective move is possible.

Financial pressure is mounting on the governing body as major sponsors respond to the controversy. Nokian Tyres, a Finnish tire manufacturer, stated it will stop sponsoring the world championship if Russia participates. Tiina Frazer, the company's senior vice president for brand, marketing, and communications, said continuing the sponsorship under current circumstances would not align with the company's values. AJ Products, a Swedish furniture maker that has sponsored the tournament since 1989, said it would ask for its logo to be hidden if Russia plays.

Host nations are also weighing the impact on logistics and security. Germany, which is set to host the men's championship, expressed uncertainty about organizing the event due to cost and security concerns. The Finnish city of Turku announced it will not co-host the world juniors if Russia is included. In the Czech Republic, the federation is discussing with the government whether to deny entry visas to Russian players for the women's under-18 championship in January.

The situation mirrors the 2022 soccer World Cup cycle, where potential opponents of Russia threatened to boycott qualifying matches. At that time, FIFA successfully argued at the Court of Arbitration for Sport that excluding Russia would cause irreparable harm to the competition. Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, a political supporter of Russia's return, questioned the value of gold medals if teams do not have to defeat Russian players on their way to winning.

The women's world championship starting this week in Denmark is not affected by the court ruling and will proceed without Russia. USA Hockey and Hockey Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the expanding boycott.