Germany considers giving up hosting the 2027 ice hockey world championship

The president of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB), Frank Luz, said in an interview with the channel "Magenta Sports" that Germany may give up hosting next year's ice hockey world championship. The tournament, in which Latvia's men's team also plays in the top division, is scheduled to take place in Germany. The reason is a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that Russia's national teams must return to international competition.

Background

On Friday, CAS ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the sport's governing body, to immediately reinstate Russia's national teams in international tournaments. The decision covers next year's world championships for senior men, the U-20 and U-18 teams, and the women's world championships.

Russian teams had been banned from IIHF competitions since February 2022, when Russia launched its renewed invasion of Ukraine. During that time they missed five consecutive world championships, as well as the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina.

Germany's concerns

Because next year's tournament is due to be held in Germany, the country would have to host the Russian team. Luz said the federation should consider giving up its hosting rights, as it cannot expose itself to a financial risk it would be unable to resolve. He said costs would be entirely different, mainly because of security issues. The matter is to be discussed with local politicians and the IIHF.

One possible step could be to bar the Russian team from entering Germany. Luz stressed, however, that this is a political decision the federation cannot influence.

It is still not fully clear where Latvia's team will play at next year's world championship.