France to replace Russia in 2026 Winter Olympic hockey tournament

Russia won’t hit the ice for men’s and women’s hockey at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, the IOC confirmed on Tuesday.  

The ban from Olympic hockey competition is a continuation of Russia’s absence from IIHF events, which began alongside Belarus in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. While neutral athletes from Russia may be able to compete at the Games, teams will not be able to assemble under such status. 

“The IOC Executive Board recommendation from March 2023 with regard to teams of athletes with a Russian passport remains in place,” the IOC said, according to Reuters. “It is based on the fact that, by definition, a group of Individual Neutral Athletes cannot be considered a team. We take note that the IIHF has confirmed that it will follow this recommendation.”

Russia won silver at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, just weeks before the invasion and ongoing war, as the “Russian Olympic Committee,” and gold at the PyeongChang 2018 Games, where they competed as “Team Olympic Athlete from Russia.”

The IIHF announced in February that Russia and Belarus had been suspended through May 2026. However, the Olympic participation status came down to a decision by the International Olympic Committee. 

With Russia leaving the tournament, France is set to take their place in both the men’s and women’s competitions. 

On the men’s side, France will join Canada, Switzerland and Czechia in Group A. Meanwhile, the women’s tournament sees France slide into Group B alongside Germany, Sweden, Japan and the host Italians. 

The 2026 men’s Olympic hockey tournament marks the first time since Sochi 2014 that NHL players will be allowed to participate, while the women’s tournament is the first since the 2024 creation of the PWHL. 

The 2026 Winter Olympics are scheduled for Feb. 6-22, 2026, with hockey taking place at the Fiera Milano and the newly constructed 16,000-seat Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The men’s gold medal game is set for 7:10 am ET on Feb. 22, and the women’s at 3:10 pm ET on Feb. 19.

Olympic Hockey Groups