IIHF suspends Russia and Belarus from all international tournaments

On 28 February 2022, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the sport's world governing body, announced that national teams and clubs from Russia and Belarus were suspended from all its competitions. The decision came days after Russia, with support from Belarusian territory, launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The suspension covered every age category, including the World Junior Championship, the major under-20 tournament. Russia had been one of the leading nations in the event, regularly contending for medals. The IIHF also withdrew several tournaments that had been scheduled to take place in Russia, including the 2023 World Junior Championship, which was later moved to Canada.

The move followed similar steps by other international sports bodies, including FIFA and the International Olympic Committee, which recommended excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes. In the following years the IIHF repeatedly renewed the ban, so Russian players missed the world junior tournaments, and the question of a return became a recurring subject of debate among member federations.