The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association (NIHF) said on Nov. 8 that its team dropped to a lower division at the 2027 World Junior Hockey Championship after news of Russia's reintegration into the tournament.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) paved the way for Russia's return to international ice hockey competitions after its Oct. 30 ruling made the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) exclusion of Russian athletes unlawful.

After excluding Belarus from the upcoming tournaments, the IIHF said in a statement that it "continues to disagree" with the CAS's decision regarding Russian participation, but is "exploring all available avenues... to identify a constructive way forward that serves the interests of global ice hockey."

"This clearly shows all the practical challenges and immediate consequences for everyone involved when countries are to be reinstated immediately," said NIHF Secretary General Petter Salsten in the association's statement about moving to a lower division at Russia's expense.

In the new layout at the championship, which is due to take place in Canada from Dec. 26, 2026, to Jan. 5, 2027, Russia will place tenth. As the lowest-ranked team, Norway will move down to Division 1A.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said during a press conference that "Russians will not be there" for the World Junior Hockey Championship, with the government later adding that its immigration minister, Lena Metlege Diab, "will exercise her authorities… to individually assess and prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols."

The host country has yet to comment on these latest developments.

Furthermore, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF) said that "in view of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the current circumstances, the Swiss U20 national team will not compete against the Russian U20 national team at the upcoming World Championship. "

Switzerland is the latest country expressing its refusal to play games against Russia.

National hockey federations in Czechia, Germany, Finland, Canada, and elsewhere have sided with Ukraine.

"Some say that sports are separate from politics, but that's not true as long as missiles are destroying ice arenas and killing athletes," Ihor Merezhko, the captain of Ukraine's national men's team, told the Kyiv Independent.

Russian and Belarusian teams have been excluded from IIHF competitions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Belarus supported the war.