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Prime Minister Mark Carney says Russia will not be allowed to compete at next month’s world junior hockey championship in Alberta.
Carney, speaking in Antigua at the Commonwealth Summit, said Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be permitted to represent their countries in Canada as long as the war in Ukraine continues.
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“While Russia and Belorussia (sic) are supporting this illegal, unjustified, horrific war in Ukraine, as long as that’s going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada,” Carney said when asked if Russian players would be denied visas.
“So if you’re asking specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there.”
In a statement Tuesday, the federal government said it would use its immigration powers to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols.
“This measure is not directed at the Russian and Belarusian people. Rather, it is intended to prevent the governments of Russia and Belarus from using international sporting events hosted in Canada as platforms for state representation, political legitimacy and propaganda,” the statement said.
The government said entry would be assessed individually, while athletes competing as neutrals could still participate in international sporting events hosted by Canada.
Carney’s comments come after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Friday that Russia must be reinstated to international hockey competition, starting with the world junior tournament.
Several European hockey federations, including Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Latvia, have said their teams will refuse to face Russia.
“We respect the decisions of the Finns, the Czechs, the Swedes, other nations, but this is a decision we take on our own,” Carney said.
Hockey Canada says it has been consulting with the International Ice Hockey Federation and other stakeholders about the potential impact on the tournament.
The world juniors begin Dec. 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer.
— with files from Anja Karadeglija in Antigua.
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