Finland to Skip Russia in Hockey Tournaments

The Finnish Ice Hockey Association announced on Monday that its national teams will not compete against Russia in international tournaments. The association stated that this policy will remain in effect for as long as the war in Ukraine lasts.

This decision follows a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week. The court ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to reinstate Russian teams. The first event under this new rule is the world juniors tournament, which starts in late December in western Canada.

Henna Malmberg, a spokesperson for the Finnish association, said the organization does not believe it is the only country considering a boycott. Media reports in Latvia indicated that its teams would also skip games against Russia. Those reports cited legal reasons for the Latvian stance.

The International Ice Hockey Federation did not immediately return a message seeking comment on how it would handle Finland's absence. The federation rulebook states that proper authorities will apply supplementary discipline at their discretion if a team forfeits a game.

Germany is currently weighing whether it can continue as the host of the men's world championship next year. The German national hockey federation cited extra costs related to Russian participation and security concerns. Frank H. Lutz, the federation's chief executive, is traveling to Berlin this week to meet with political figures about the issue.

AJ Products, a Swedish furniture company, has sponsored the men's world championship since 1989. Its logo appears on referees' uniforms and arena boards. Chief executive Enock Johansson told broadcaster TV4 on Monday that the company plans to request its logo not be displayed at the event. Johansson said, “It’s a decision we very much regret having to make, but we all agree it’s the right one.”

The Czech Republic will host the women's under-18 world championship in January. A spokesperson for Czech President Petr Pavel said last week that the president favors banning the participation of athletes competing under the Russian and Belarusian flags.