Russia have been banned from international competition since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but the CAS ruling on Friday 30th October paved the way for them to return to the World Championship in time for the 2027 edition in Germany.
The decision has threatened the chances of the tournament going ahead, with some reports suggesting Germany would withdraw from hosting the championship, due to be held in Gelsenkirchen, Mannheim and Dusseldorf next May, while Denmark have refused to play in a tournament featuring Russia.
Finland have now joined their Nordic neighbours in reasserting their position: "We have established our own position: Finland will not play against Russia," Finnish Ice Hockey Association chairman Heikki Hietanen told the media.
Hietanen also made no secret of Finland's desire to bring more nations into their boycott and disrupt the competition further: "We are currently gathering as many countries as possible to form a common front to tell the IIHF that none of us will play against Russia in this situation. This weighs significantly more heavily in the balance than the fact that we only announce the matter on our own behalf," he said in a statement on the Finnish association's website.
Bringing other nations on board may not be simple, with the Swedish association announcing that "a boycott is not an option." However, the Norwegian association has announced they will join Finland and Denmark in opposing Russia's participation.
Regardless, the loss of the Leijonat would be major for the organisers, as Finland are the reigning champions having beaten Switzerland in the final less than six months ago.
Meanwhile, the city of Turku has stated it will refuse to host the 2027/28 World Junior Championships, set to be played in Turku and Tampere, if Russia is permitted to send a team.
Finland has been one of the most vocal nations in opposing the war in Ukraine, using their men's football team's UEFA Nations League game against Belarus as an opportunity to raise funds and show support for Ukrainians.