Swiss ice hockey federation in no rush to decide on playing Russian teams

The Swiss Ice Hockey Association (SEHV) said on Thursday that it will not rush a decision on whether Switzerland's national ice hockey teams will play Russian teams in international tournaments. The reason is last Friday's ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to reinstate Russian national teams in competitions.

What CAS decided

CAS ruled that the IIHF must immediately restore Russian teams to international tournaments. The decision covers this season's world championships for senior men, the U-20 and U-18 teams, and the women's world championships. Latvia's national team also plays in the men's top division.

The Swiss position

SEHV says it has noted the CAS decision, is aware of its consequences, and will wait for further developments and IIHF decisions. The federation acknowledges the sensitivity of the issue and its sporting, political and social consequences, and is following the stance of other national hockey federations.

SEHV president Marc Lüthi stressed that CAS is the highest international sports court and that the IIHF is the leading international hockey governing body outside the NHL, the North American hockey league. He said he condemns and rejects wars of aggression, but that the matter is currently at the sporting rather than the political level. He personally views the ruling critically, and the next steps are mainly for the IIHF to decide.

The statement says it must be clarified whether and under what conditions Russian teams can return, or whether the grounds for their exclusion still exist. Until then, speculating about consequences for Switzerland would be premature. Once the situation is clearer, SEHV will analyse it and consult the relevant political authorities and other stakeholders. The federation will not make such a far-reaching decision unilaterally.

Background

The IIHF formally justified Russia's suspension not by the war in Ukraine but by concerns for participants' safety. CAS did not find that reasoning convincing enough. Russia has been excluded from IIHF competitions since February 2022, when it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the men's category it has missed five consecutive world championships.