Russian Hockey Federation President Vladislav Tretiak says his country may pursue compensation claims if Canada bans Russia’s junior hockey team from competing in next month’s world junior championship in Alberta.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which organizes the world junior championship, “has a way out—either allow us to participate or, if we cannot enter Canada, move the championship, not hold it at all, or impose sanctions on Canada,” Tretiak said.
Tretiak made the comments to Russian news agency TASS at a presidential sports council meeting attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 12. Ottawa confirmed last week that Russia’s national team would not be permitted to enter Canada to compete.
Ottawa’s decision follows an Oct. 30 ruling by the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport overturning an IIHF ban on Russian participation in international competitions imposed after Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Tretiak, who’s a member of Russia’s lower house of parliament, said Russia would also seek compensation from Germany if it tried to ban Russian players from competing next year in the 2027 men’s world championship in Germany.
Tretiak, a three-time Olympic gold medalist who was a legendary goaltender for the Soviet Union, also told TASS that Russia had asked the IIHF’s ethics council to apply punitive measures against any national hockey federations, such as the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, that boycott games against Russia.
Global Affairs Canada said Tretiak has been sanctioned since February 2023 for voting in favour of legislation backing Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
During the Nov. 12 presidential sports council meeting, Putin said national sports federations are refusing to play against Russian teams due to pressure from their governments, according to TASS.
In addition to Sweden, national federations including in Czechia, Norway, and Finland, have announced that their teams will not play Russia.
The world junior championship is scheduled to take place in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.
On Nov. 11, Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden confirmed that Russian and Belarusian national teams would not be permitted to compete in the world junior championship, even if their players held valid Canadian visas. He said immigration authorities would assess athletes and officials individually before allowing them to enter Canada for the tournament.
A number of Russian players already compete in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), which oversees the country’s three major junior hockey leagues: the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Russian players competing for Canadian junior clubs are not representing Russia’s national team so they will be permitted to play under Canada’s ban.
Russian and Belarusian players were excluded from the CHL’s import draft from 2022 through 2024 before being allowed to participate again. The CHL said Russian players accounted for 32 of the 114 selections in this year’s draft, more than any other country.
The episode has also raised questions about Norway’s participation. The Norwegian hockey federation said Nov. 8 that the IIHF had informed it that Russia would replace Norway, the tournament’s lowest-ranked team.
Norway said it still hopes to compete. The IIHF has not announced any changes to the tournament lineup and continues to list Norway among the 10 participating teams on its website.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
