Latvia refused to play hockey with Russia and Belarus even under the threat of technical defeat. The general secretary of the Latvian Hockey Federation, Roberts Plebeis, said that national legislation prohibits Latvian teams from meeting Russian and Belarusian teams. The ban has been in effect since February 2024 and applies to all age categories, even if the opponents compete under a neutral flag. According to him, the decision of CAS to accept Russian national teams for international tournaments from the 2026/27 season surprised the Latvian side. It is almost impossible to challenge him. "The law says clearly and clearly that there is no room for any discussion here. In team sports, you can't compete against one team or another," said Pleibais. We remind you that on October 30, CAS obliged the IIHF to admit Russian teams to international competitions. The Belarusian Hockey Federation supported this decision.

Latvia refused to play hockey with Russia and Belarus even under the threat of technical defeat. The general secretary of the Latvian Hockey Federation, Roberts Plebeis, said that national legislation prohibits Latvian teams from meeting Russian and Belarusian teams. The ban has been in effect since February 2024 and applies to all age categories, even if the opponents compete under a neutral flag. According to him, the decision of CAS to accept Russian national teams for international tournaments from the 2026/27 season surprised the Latvian side. It is almost impossible to challenge him. "The law says clearly and clearly that there is no room for any discussion here. In team sports, you can't compete against one team or another," said Pleibais. We remind you that on October 30, CAS obliged the IIHF to admit Russian teams to international competitions. The Belarusian Hockey Federation supported this decision.