IIHF appeals CAS ruling over Russia panel ties

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over its ruling allowing Russia to participate in international hockey, citing undisclosed business ties between two panel members and Russia. According to The Athletic and TSN, the appeal alleges that two of the three CAS panel members hid their commercial connections to Russia. Panel chairman Giulio Palermo, an Italian lawyer, drew suspicion after a September visit to Moscow, raising questions about the ruling's reliability. CAS ruled in late October that the IIHF must permit Russian players to compete in the World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Canada, starting next year. However, the Canadian government decided earlier this week not to grant visas to Russian players.