Prime Minister Mark Carney says Russia will not be allowed to compete at next month’s world junior hockey championship in Alberta.
Carney, speaking in Antigua at the Commonwealth Summit, said Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be permitted to represent their countries in Canada as long as the war in Ukraine continues.
“While Russia and Belorussia (sic) are supporting this illegal, unjustified, horrific war in Ukraine, as long as that’s going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada,” Carney said when asked if Russian players would be denied visas.
“So if you’re asking specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there.”
In a statement Tuesday, the federal government said it would use its immigration powers to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols.
“This measure is not directed at the Russian and Belarusian people. Rather, it is intended to prevent the governments of Russia and Belarus from using international sporting events hosted in Canada as platforms for state representation, political legitimacy and propaganda,” the statement said.
The government said entry would be assessed individually, while athletes competing as neutrals could still participate in international sporting events hosted by Canada.
Carney’s comments come after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Friday that Russia must be reinstated to international hockey competition, starting with the world junior tournament. Russian teams have been banned since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyarev said in an Oct. 30 statement that the CAS ruling was final and that Russia would work with the International Ice Hockey Federation to secure its return to competition, starting with the upcoming world junior tournament.
Several European hockey federations, including Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Latvia, have said their teams will refuse to face Russia.
“We respect the decisions of the Finns, the Czechs, the Swedes, other nations, but this is a decision we take on our own,” Carney said.
Hockey Canada released a statement supporting the federal government’s position.
“Hockey Canada thanks the Government of Canada for today’s strong position that Canada intends to prevent Russian and Belarusian officials and athletes from participating under their national symbols in international sporting events taking place on Canadian soil,” the organization said.
“We will be meeting with our board of directors this week to discuss next steps given the government’s clear position.”
Earlier Tuesday, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha thanked the federations that had refused to play Russia and urged other hockey powers, including co-host Canada, to follow suit.
“If CAS lacks a moral compass, let’s show that hockey still has values. Refuse to play against Russia and deny visas to its players,” he wrote in a post on X.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress had also urged Ottawa to deny visas to Russian players, with senior policy adviser Orest Zakydalsky calling the CAS ruling “a disgrace and entirely unjustified.”
The world junior tournament begins Dec. 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer.
Sweden is the defending champion and one of 10 teams currently set to compete at the world junior tournament, along with Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, the United States, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, Norway and Finland.
“The Swedish line was and is crystal clear: Sweden will not play ice hockey matches against Russia in the situation we are in right now,” the Swedish Ice Hockey Association said in a statement. “The decision does not mean that Sweden will refrain from participating in World Cup tournaments where Russia is participating.”
Norway has also refused to face Russia at the 2027 men’s world championship. Norwegian Ice Hockey Association general secretary Petter Salsten told The Associated Press that Norway could be dropped from the world juniors to make room for Russia.
Finland’s federation said no player or team official would be obliged to take part in a tournament involving Russia or Belarus, and that it supported those who chose not to.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday the province would comply with the CAS ruling.
“We recognize that the IIHF will consider the ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport and determine its next steps as an organization,” Alberta’s Sports Minister Andrew Boitchenko said in response to Carney’s comments. “Our focus remains on working with our partners to deliver a successful 2027 world juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer and welcoming players and fans from around the world to Alberta.”
Premier Smith also commented on the X platform Tuesday that she fully supports Carney’s decision.
“The people of Ukraine have suffered immeasurably from Vladimir Putin’s illegal war. Alberta is now home to 70,000 Ukrainian evacuees who remain unable to return home because of Russia’s invasion of their country. We in Alberta stand with them,” wrote Smith.
However, Oleg Stepanov, the Ambassador of Russia to Canada, didn’t agree with the Canadian decision.
“It is genuinely regrettable to see Prime Minister Carney’s Cabinet bringing politics onto the ice. Sport, particularly junior hockey, should be about athletic excellence, fair competition and bringing young people together,” wrote Stepanov.
He added: ” … By excluding Russian and Belarusian players, the Canadian government also happens to eliminate some rather formidable competition before the first puck is even dropped. One might almost suspect that Ottawa has discovered a novel approach to winning international tournaments: if you cannot be entirely certain of beating your strongest opponents on the ice, simply ensure they never make it to the rink.
“A splendid strategy, perhaps, for securing a trophy. A rather less splendid one for preserving the spirit of sport.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2026.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Antigua and Bill Graveland in Calgary.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.