Several countries, including Finland and Norway, announced earlier on Tuesday that they would not play matches against Russia.
Now the Swedish Ice Hockey Association is saying the same.
“We do not intend to play against Russia,” confirms chairman Anders Larsson.
At the same time, Larsson says that boycotting the entire tournament in which Russia participates is not an option.
“There is a common line in Swedish sport not to boycott. We do not intend to play against Russia, but we do not intend to boycott the entire World Cup,” he says.
“Unthinkable with Russia”
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has barred Russia from tournaments since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the IIHF’s decision on Friday.
Anders Larsson is also a member of the IIHF board.
“For us, Russia’s participation is unthinkable. That has been our position in Swedish hockey, and it was a key part of my entry into the international board. We were very disappointed with CAS’s decision,” he says.
According to Finnish media reports, there are two factions on the IIHF board: one that is more welcoming to Russia and one that has been strongly critical of its participation in the World Cup.
Nordic view
“We are a very new board. We come from different parts of the world. I have a very Swedish and Nordic view. Others come from other places and have other perspectives. That is why I think it is even more important that we are clear about what we want, together with our allies,” Larsson says.
CAS’s decision allowing Russia to participate again takes effect at the turn of the year. The Men’s Junior World Cup in Canada, which will be held over Christmas and New Year, is the first tournament to be affected.
The question is whether it will be possible to hold tournaments with Russian participation.
“Right now, I see a lot of questions up in the air, if you put it that way. In the current situation, I think it will be very difficult. The most important thing is that it is clear where we in Swedish hockey stand on the issue,” Larsson says.
Forssmed satisfied
Minister for Sport Jakob Forssmed (KD) welcomes the Swedish Ice Hockey Association’s announcement.
“The fact that they say a flat-out no to facing Russia, and that they do so together with Finland, Norway and Denmark, sends a clear signal that Russia has no business in the Hockey World Cup as long as its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine continues. We are talking about hockey here, where the Russian state and sport are most clearly intertwined,” he tells TT.
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