Russia's return to the ice has been put on hold yet again.
The International Ice Hockey Federation has ruled that Russia will not be allowed to participate in any IIHF-sanctioned events for the 2026-27 season due to"ongoing safety, security, operational feasibility and sport integrity," it was announced Thursday.
The IIHF had been reviewing Russia's eligibility, looking at the matter on an event-by-event basis.
With the ruling, Russia won't be allowed to participate in the 2027 iterations of the men's world championship, women's world championship, world junior championship, U18 men's world championship and U18 women's world championship.
Russia has been banned from participating in any of the tournaments run by the sport’s governing body since invading Ukraine in February 2022. That included preventing Russian players, including those in the NHL, from taking part in the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The IIHF decided in May to evaluate the Russian hockey federation's eligibility after a January decision to bar Russian teams, including at the youth level, was annulled following an appeal from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. But that was not a reversal of course, as the IIHF said its disciplinary board “explicitly confirmed that this does not mean that Russia has automatically been reintegrated.”
In that same May decision, the IIHF decided to reinstate Belarus at the under-18 men’s and women’s events and the women’s Division IV world championship beginning this year. Belarus had also not been allowed to play since aiding Russia in its war in Ukraine.
-- With files from the Associated Press