IIHF decision on ban against Russian hockey teams overturned

The disciplinary body of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has overturned the decision by the organization's Council to bar Russia’s teams from competing in the 2026-2027 season, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said.

The board concluded that the arguments and risk assessment reports provided by the IIHF did not contain sufficient grounds for extending the suspension for security reasons. Now, the organization must now hold a meeting of its governing body to discuss the issue once again.

"At the latest conference of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF), we agreed to launch preparations for legal proceedings against the IIHF. In accordance with the regulations, an appeal with the disciplinary board was filed as the first step. We continue meticulous legal work," Degtyarev said.

Russian and Belarusian teams have been banned from international competitions since 2022.