Ice hockey
FHR president Vladislav Tretiak says Russia's junior and under-20 teams will compete at the Winter Universiade in late January, calling it the opening move toward wider international return.
Russian hockey federation official Roman Rotenberg says a return via youth teams first, then the senior side, is possible before the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.
Shanghai Dragons president Ilya Kovalchuk says he believes Russia's national hockey team will return internationally after the federation's CAS appeal against the IIHF.
Roman Rotenberg claims USA Hockey supports Russia's return to international competition and that a Russia-USA match is realistic soon.
Official Maxim Gafurov says the city would gladly host World Championship hockey matches, as Russia pushes for a return to IIHF competition.
Russia's hockey federation vice-president says junior and youth sides could return to competition soon, but the senior team's path back remains blocked by politics.
The Russian hockey federation president says the team has missed international play for four years and vows to keep fighting for reinstatement ahead of the October CAS hearing.
The IIHF barred former Switzerland coach Patrick Fischer, 51, from national teams until 2030 after he used a forged Covid vaccination certificate at the 2022 Olympics.
The outgoing IIHF president, who steps down in October 2026, was honoured for over three decades of work growing hockey worldwide.
Ex-Russia coach Vladimir Plyushchev doubts neutral status suits Russia, citing the Universiade precedent as CAS reviews IIHF's exclusion ruling.
Vladislav Tretiak says the Russian federation has filed a full CAS appeal against the IIHF ban, with a hearing set for late October 2026.
