Canada bars Russia & Belarus from junior tournament

Canada will not let ice hockey players from Russia or Belarus take part in the World Junior Championships next month.

Russia had been suspended from competing in International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) events since the country invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but last week the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) overturned the ban.

The IIHF has reaffirmed its "disagreement" with the decision, adding in a statement that the situation and implications for upcoming events will be closely monitored.

"The global impact of the decision made by the Cas Panel and the challenges it creates for all involved were significantly underestimated," an IIHF statement said.