SportsBrief
Norway awaits clarification on place at world junior hockey championship
Norway’s hockey association says a revised Canada tournament layout includes Russia, while the final position on Norwegian participation remains unresolved.
The numbers
- Russia’s slot in the revised championship layout described by Norway’s association, not a tournament result
- 10th nation
Norway’s place at the world junior ice hockey championship in Canada remains unresolved after a revised tournament layout put Russia in the field, the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association said on November 8.
The association said the new arrangement lists Russia as the tenth nation and moves Norway to Division 1A. The championship is scheduled to begin on December 26.
Petter Salsten, the association’s secretary general, said it would await further information from the International Ice Hockey Federation in the coming days. He expressed hope that Norway’s participation in Canada had not been settled. The Norwegian federation also said it opposes Russian participation in international competition while the war in Ukraine continues.
In comments reported by The Kyiv Independent, Ihor Merezhko, captain of Ukraine’s national men’s team, argued that sport cannot be separated from politics during the war. In making that case, he pointed to missile attacks on ice arenas and the killing of athletes.
What we don't know yet
- Will Norway participate in the world junior championship in Canada?
- What will the final tournament field be?
Timeline
Norway’s ice hockey association described a revised tournament layout and said its team’s participation remained unresolved.
The under-20 world championship in Canada is scheduled to begin, according to Norway’s association.