Court defends Russian reinstatement ahead of World Juniors, says IIHF failed to justify ban

The Court of Arbitration for Sport defended its decision to reinstate Russia to international hockey competition Thursday, saying the ruling was based strictly on the legal arguments and evidence presented. In a statement acknowledging the divisive reaction to last week’s ruling, CAS said the International Ice Hockey Federation failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify continuing its ban on Russian teams.Russian and Belarusian teams have been barred from international hockey since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.CAS said the IIHF did not make a strong enough case to support its concerns about bringing Russia back into competition or allowing Russian players to compete as neutral athletes.The statement comes after Prime Minister Mark Carney declared Tuesday that Russian players would not be permitted to compete at next month’s world juniors hockey championship in Edmonton and Red Deer. Story continues below advertisement “So if you’re asking specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there,” Carney said Tuesday while attending the Commonwealth Summit in Antigua. Get breaking National news Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens ...