Helsinki:Finland's national ice hockey team has announced it will refuse to play against Russia as long as the conflict in Ukraine persists. This decision was confirmed by Heikki Hietanen, the chairman of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, who stated the association's firm stance against participating in matches with Russia during its ongoing war against Ukraine.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Hietanen expressed the association's commitment to preventing Russia's participation in international tournaments. This follows a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that mandated the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow Russia to return to international competition immediately. Despite this ruling, Finland is steadfast in its decision not to engage with Russian teams.

Hietanen also mentioned efforts to align Finland's position with other Nordic countries and major hockey nations in Central Europe, aiming to encourage a collective boycott against playing Russia. However, he did not specify which countries might join this stance, as their respective hockey associations are still deliberating internally.

Finland's sports minister, Mika Poutala, supported the decision, expressing confidence that Russia would be excluded from the upcoming world championship scheduled to be held in Germany next spring. Emma Terho, a member of the Executive Board of the European Olympic Committees, echoed this sentiment, urging other countries to follow Finland's lead in boycotting Russia.

Initially, following the CAS ruling, Hietanen had described the decision as incomprehensible but clarified that Finland would not boycott the world championship. This statement raised concerns within the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, as the board had not yet formalized its response to Russia's potential participation.