Canada fears competition: Why Russian hockey players are not welcome at the World Junior Championship.
Canada seems to have decided that hockey is its personal territory, where it can independently determine who deserves to participate in the tournament and who should be excluded.
As it became known last night, Canada decided to deny visas to all Russian hockey players for the World Youth Championship, which will be held in February 2027. Those Russian players who have a Canadian visa will also not be allowed to enter the country. The Canadian government has already notified the International Ice Hockey Federation.
The situation is especially strange with players who already have valid visas, but even this does not guarantee them the possibility to play. Of course, such decisions raise questions, because international sports should be built on uniform rules, and not on the preferences of the host country.
What is happening is particularly significant against the background of the CAS decision, which obliged the IIHF to return Russia to international tournaments. The result is a contradictory situation: the international body makes one decision, and the host country actually tries to oppose it.
It can be assumed that behind this there are not only political reasons, but also the reluctance of the Canadian team to return to competition with Russian hockey players. As Irina Rodnina pointed out, the Canadians are afraid of losing and finding themselves in a situation where they will have to prove their usual leadership directly on the ice.
The FHR requires the acceptance of Russian athletes or the rejection of the competition. And this is a completely understandable position. However, another question arises: if Canada is allowed to ignore the decisions of international sports organizations, why can't other countries follow a similar example?
Sweden and the Czech Republic have already stated their reluctance to play against Russia. As a result, one gets the impression that international sports laws only apply when specific federations are satisfied.