Finland's Nokian Tyres Threatens to End Ice Hockey World Championship Sponsorship If Russia Plays

Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian Tyres announced on Tuesday that it will end its sponsorship of the ice hockey world championship, organised by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), if the Russian national team takes part. The company said continuing the sponsorship under such circumstances would not be in line with its values.

What came before

On Friday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which settles disputes in international sport, ordered the IIHF to reinstate Russia's national teams in international tournaments without delay. The ruling covers this season's world championships for senior men, U-20 and U-18 teams, as well as the women's world championships. Latvia's national team also plays in the top division of the men's tournament.

In its statement, Nokian Tyres said: "In the current circumstances, continuing the sponsorship in the event of Russian participation would not be in line with our values." After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the company began withdrawing from the Russian market and completed the process in March 2023.

Other sponsors and the host

It was reported earlier that the IIHF would also lose the support of the Swedish furniture company AJ Produkter and the Czech gambling company Tipsport if Russia takes part.

The world championship is scheduled for 14 to 30 May in the German cities of Düsseldorf and Mannheim. On Monday it was reported that Germany does not rule out withdrawing from hosting the tournament.

Russian national teams have been barred from IIHF competitions since February 2022, when Russia launched its renewed invasion of Ukraine. During this period, Russian teams have missed five world championships, as well as the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina.