European Hockey Nations Expand Boycott Against Russia

Six of the 16 men's national teams at the upcoming Ice Hockey World Championship will not play against Russia.

The International Ice Hockey Federation received a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week. The court ordered the IIHF to reinstate Russian teams. This process begins with the world juniors tournament starting next month in Canada.

The boycott effort gained speed this week. Finland announced on Monday that it was rallying other nations to refuse games against Russia. On Tuesday, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, and Denmark formally signed up. The Czech federation also joined the group. They had previously said they would wait for a board meeting next week.

Anders Larsson, head of the Swedish hockey federation, confirmed the move in a statement. He noted that the Three Crowns, as the team is nicknamed, will skip games against Russia but still play the rest of their schedule. This stance marked a change from last week. Sweden had initially said a boycott was unlikely after the Court of Arbitration for Sport issued its ruling on Friday.

Norway provided specific reasons for its decision. The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association stated that Russia should be excluded from international championships while the war in Ukraine continues. They also cited player safety. General secretary Petter Salsten told the Associated Press that Norway could be removed from the world juniors to make room for Russia. He said there is a huge possibility Norway is out if Russia is added, because Norway was the last team to qualify.

Sponsors are reacting to the uncertainty. Nokian Tyres, a Finnish tire manufacturer, said it will drop its sponsorship if Russia participates. Tiina Frazer, the company's senior vice president, said continuing the deal would not align with their values. Swedish furniture maker AJ Products, a sponsor since 1989, said it would ask to hide its logo if Russia plays.

Other nations are still deciding. Austria told the Associated Press it is weighing whether to join the boycott. Germany is unsure about hosting the men's championship, citing cost and security concerns. Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico supported Russia's return, posting on social media that a gold medal loses value if the best players are not defeated. The women's world championship in Denmark begins this week and is proceeding without Russia.