"Russians will not play with us." The Canadian Prime Minister sent a clear message ahead of the championship.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Russia will not be allowed to participate in the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship despite a recent CAS ruling. He emphasized that as long as Russia and Belarus support the war in Ukraine, their athletes will not represent their countries in Canada. The Canadian Hockey Federation supports this stance and plans to discuss further actions in light of the government's position. The championship is set to take place in Alberta from December 26 to January 5, and was expected to be the first major event allowing Russian participation since the war began.