IIHF says it will determine Russia's eligibility on a tournament-by-tournament basis in 2026-27

ZURICH — The International Ice Hockey Federation said Friday it will determine the status of Russia’s participation on an event-by-event basis for the 2026-27 season.

Russia has been banned from participating in tournaments run by the sport’s governing body since invading Ukraine in February 2022. That included preventing Russian players, including those in the NHL, from taking part in the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The decision to evaluate eligibility on a case-by-case basis comes after a January decision to bar Russian teams, including at the youth level, was annulled following an appeal from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. But the IIHF said its disciplinary board “explicitly confirmed that this does not mean that Russia has automatically been reintegrated.”

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The announcement could mean that Flyers forward Matvei Michkov returns to the international stage, where the NHL first saw his high-end talents.

In 2020, a 15-year-old Michkov, while sporting an “A,” led the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics with 14 points (nine goals, five assists) and helped the Russians beat the United States in the gold-medal game. The following year in May, he was named the MVP and best forward of the 2021 U18 World Championship as a 16-year-old with 12 goals — the second-highest single-tournament total in history — and 16 points. Russia won silver.

That summer, he again was an alternate captain and was the Hlinka Gretzky Cup’s MVP with 13 points in five games for the gold medalists. And in December 2021, all eyes were on the 2022 World Juniors with the expected top picks for the 2023 draft, Michkov and Connor Bedard, facing off. After a handful of games, including two in which Michkov, who had just turned 17, netted three goals, the tournament was canceled because of positive COVID-19 tests among the players. Two months later, Russia invaded Ukraine and was barred from the tournament when it was replayed in August.

Earlier this week, the IIHF announced it would reintegrate Belarus at the under-18 men’s and women’s events and the women’s Division IV world championship beginning this year. Belarus also had not been allowed to play since aiding Russia in its war in Ukraine. Flyers prospect Aleksei Kolosov, who is from Minsk, has represented Belarus between the pipes at several tournaments.

The IIHF Council said the decision to bring back some teams from Belarus was not taken lightly.

“Based on the assessments conducted and ongoing consultations with relevant stakeholders, we believe this can be done in a safe, responsible, and controlled manner,” the council said in a statement. “The IIHF has always believed in the importance of the international hockey family staying connected through sport. Bringing the family back together is an important step forward for our federation and for the global game.”