Wayne Gretzky backs PM Mark Carney's decision to ban Russia from World Juniors

The geopolitical storm surrounding international hockey continues to intensify, and now the greatest player to ever lace up skates has weighed in. With the World Junior Championship set to begin in late December in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, the question of whether Russia would participate has dominated the conversation for weeks. After the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Russia must be reinstated to international competition, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made it clear that his government had other plans. And on Friday, Wayne Gretzky made it known exactly where he stands.

Speaking at a ceremony in Toronto where Upper Deck renamed the Hockey Hall of Fame's resource centre in honour of his late father Walter, the NHL's all-time points leader threw his support behind Carney's decision to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing on Canadian soil.

"Nobody likes war, right?" Gretzky said. "We definitely don't want to see this. We hope it ends. We wish it didn't start. And I understand the stance the prime minister is taking, and good for him. He's made that stance and he's made it clear."

The 65-year-old, whose Eastern European heritage includes roots in present-day Ukraine, Belarus and Poland, added: "I think a lot of the players and the people of Canada feel the same way."

A political firestorm that keeps growing

The backdrop to Gretzky's comments is one of the most significant political standoffs in the history of international hockey. CAS ruled unanimously that the IIHF must bring Russia back into the fold for the 2026-27 season, starting with the World Juniors this December. Russia and Belarus had been excluded from international competition since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The IIHF had attempted to justify the continued ban on security grounds, but CAS determined those concerns were not sufficiently proven.

That ruling set off a chain reaction. Finland was the first nation to declare that none of its teams would take the ice against Russia. Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Latvia and Czechia all followed with similar announcements. Sweden's stance was particularly firm, with the federation's board voting to refuse matchups against Russia at every level, from the senior men's team all the way down to the U18 programs. Sweden's junior national team coach Magnus Hävelid said he would accept not playing even if it meant forfeiting a quarterfinal at the World Juniors.

Then Carney stepped in and made the decision for Hockey Canada. Speaking at the Commonwealth Summit in Antigua, the Prime Minister left no room for ambiguity. "While Russia and Belarus 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 told reporters.

The federal government confirmed it would use its immigration powers to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols. The government was careful to note that the measure is not directed at the Russian and Belarusian people, but rather aims to prevent those governments from using international sporting events as platforms for political legitimacy and propaganda. Athletes competing as neutrals could still potentially participate.

Hockey Canada responded with a statement thanking the government for its "strong position" and said it would be meeting with its Board of Directors to discuss next steps.

What comes next for international hockey

The fallout from this situation extends far beyond the World Juniors. Germany, which is set to host the men's World Championship in May 2027, has openly questioned whether it can proceed with the event given the complications surrounding Russian participation. The German federation has raised concerns about both the added costs and security challenges. Sponsors are also getting nervous. AJ Products, a longtime World Championship sponsor since 1989, announced it wants its logo removed from the tournament entirely.

Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyarev has maintained that the CAS ruling is final and that Russia would work with the IIHF to secure its return to competition. But with a growing coalition of nations refusing to play and the host country of the next major junior tournament outright denying entry, the path forward for Russia looks anything but straightforward.

The IIHF has not publicly addressed what penalties might look like for nations that refuse to face Russia. The rulebook allows for supplementary discipline, but with this many countries involved, any punitive action risks fracturing the sport even further.

As for Gretzky, he was also asked about his public image in Canada, which has taken a hit in recent years due to his close association with U.S. President Donald Trump. He shrugged it off with characteristic ease: "Your friends are your friends, right? People can have their own opinions. That's what life is all about." He also had nothing but praise for Connor McDavid, who is on pace to challenge Gretzky's single-season points record, calling the Oilers captain's play "remarkable" and "unmatched."

With the World Juniors just weeks away and the broader international hockey calendar in serious jeopardy, the IIHF faces a crisis unlike anything it has dealt with before. Whether the federation finds a compromise or the boycott movement continues to grow, one thing is certain: the sport's biggest names and most powerful governments are united in drawing a hard line.