Updated Nov. 3, 2026, after Prime Minister Mark Carney said Russia will not take part in the World Juniors in Canada.
Russia won’t be playing at the World Juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said so on Tuesday, Nov. 3, just four days after an international sports court ordered hockey’s world governing body to let Russia back into its tournaments, starting with this one.
“So if you’re asking specifically about the World Juniors, the Russians will not be there,” Carney said.
The tournament runs Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, with games at Rogers Place in Edmonton and the Marchant Crane Centrium in Red Deer.
What Carney said
Carney was speaking to reporters in Antigua, where he’s attending the Commonwealth summit.
A reporter noted that several European hockey federations have said they won’t play Russia, and that Ukraine’s foreign minister has asked the big hockey nations to do the same. Would Canada follow suit, and deny visas to Russia’s team?
“Absolutely,” Carney said. “We respect the decisions of the Finns, the Czechs, the other nations, but this is a decision we take on our own.”
“Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal, unjustified, horrific war in Ukraine,” he said. “As long as that’s going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada.”
Then he answered the question directly: “So if you’re asking specifically about the World Juniors, the Russians will not be there.”
How will Canada keep Russia out?
Carney didn’t say.
He started to say “we will deny,” then rephrased. He didn’t confirm whether Ottawa will refuse visas, use another immigration rule, or work it out with tournament organizers. Canada controls who enters the country, so it has the power to keep a team out. It just hasn’t said how it will.
Why Russia was suddenly back in the picture
Russia and Belarus have been banned from international hockey since Feb. 28, 2022, days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On Friday, Oct. 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation’s decision to keep the ban going. The ruling said Russia should be reinstated, starting with the World Juniors in Alberta.
The federation said it was disappointed but would follow the ruling. It also warned that adding a team would take a lot of work with national associations, organizers and host governments on travel, hotels and security.
Ottawa had already signalled where it stood
Before Carney spoke, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand called the ruling “a very unwelcome decision.” She said she wasn’t comfortable with a Russian team coming to Alberta, and that “all options are on the table.”
Adam van Koeverden, the secretary of state for sport, said Canada’s position since 2022 has been that Russia shouldn’t be represented in international sport while the invasion continues.
Hockey Canada said it was disappointed with the ruling and has been talking with the federation about what it means for the tournament.
Carney’s comments are the first time Ottawa has given a firm answer.
Other countries won’t play Russia either
Canada isn’t alone. Hockey federations in Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Latvia have said their teams won’t play against Russia while the war goes on.
Norway has said it would also refuse, citing its players’ safety. Norway has another reason to watch closely: as the last team to qualify for this tournament, it’s the team most likely to lose its spot if Russia were added.
What happens to the tournament?
The World Juniors are set up for 10 teams in two groups, and the schedule is already out. Adding Russia would have meant reworking the groups, the schedule or both.
Carney’s statement takes Russia out of the picture in Canada for now. But the federation and Hockey Canada haven’t said how they’ll handle the court ruling, or whether anything else about the tournament will change.
What it means if you have tickets
Nothing has changed with the dates, host cities or tickets.
Edmonton, Rogers Place: 17 games, including all four of Canada’s preliminary-round games, both semifinals, and the gold- and bronze-medal games.
Red Deer, Marchant Crane Centrium: the other 12 preliminary-round games and two quarterfinals.
The tournament still opens on Boxing Day. Check the official schedule before you book travel around a specific matchup, in case anything shifts.
What happens next
Three things still need answers:
how Ottawa will actually keep Russia out
how the IIHF responds, given the court ruling
whether organizers change anything about the field or schedule
We’ll update this story as each is confirmed.
Read more: The Smallest Rogers Place Crowd Since 2022
Sources
Prime Minister Mark Carney, remarks to reporters in Antigua, Nov. 3, 2026 (video)
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