Denmark Threatens Boycott Over Russia Return To Ice Hockey Worlds

Denmark could skip 2027 Ice Hockey Worlds after Russia reinstatement says Henrik Bach Nielsen

Danish Ice Hockey Union considers boycott after CAS overturns Russian exclusion imposed since 2022 invasion of Ukraine on safety and security grounds.

CAS clears Russia for Worlds as Denmark mulls boycott...

Denmark could boycott the Ice Hockey World Championships over Russia's inclusion.

The warning from Henrik Bach Nielsen, chairman of the Danish Ice Hockey Union (DIU), follows a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision to clear Russia to compete at next year's World Championships.

The dispute was triggered by a landmark CAS ruling that overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) suspension of Russian teams.

The IIHF had barred Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but CAS found the federation failed to provide sufficient evidence that the exclusion was justified on safety and security grounds.

It is “incomprehensible and unfathomable” that Russia should be allowed back at the World Championship from 2027, Nielsen told Ritzau news agency.

Nielsen served on the IIHF Council from 2012 to 2021 and was Vice President for Europe and Africa, one of the federation's three regional vice presidencies, until early October this year.

Russia must be allowed to return to the ice hockey world championships, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Friday, overturning an exclusion in place since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022: https://t.co/hSIkJfoNrY

— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) October 30, 2026

One of the IIHF's stated reasons for barring Russia was safety and security, but CAS ruled the arguments for exclusion lacked sufficient evidence.

“We do not believe that anything has occurred that would warrant a change in our decision or our stance. That said, CAS is the ultimate authority in the world of sports, and that must be respected. So, that is simply the situation,“ says Henrik Bach Nielsen, who does not rule out a Danish boycott.

“There are some athletes who could end up being held hostage in this, but I have to keep saying that the decision is incomprehensible and unfathomable. Given that, one cannot blame me for thinking along those lines,” says Henrik Bach Nielsen.

The 2027 Ice Hockey World Championships will be held in Germany from 14-30 May.