Hockey World Championship 2025: The national team of Ukraine starts in the second division IA | Hockey

On Sunday, April 27, the Sphin-Georg (Romania) launches the World Cup of 2025 with hockey in the second IA division.

The national team of Ukraine She returned to the second most important division of the world hockey for 7 years in the third (IV). And now Ukrainians in one step from returning to the elite – to the company of the United States, Canada, Sweden and the Czech Republic …

Long way to the elite

The Ukrainian national team was first in the 1999 elite division, at the World Cup in Norway. At the beginning of the 2000s, the flowering of Ukrainian hockey was the only speech at the Olympics (Salt Lake City-2002) and 9th place at the World Cup in Sweden, the same 2002.

But, in 2007, the team took the last place on the World Cup and dropped to the second division. If in the first years after departure from the elite, the team still hoped to return to the strongest division, then for several years it was swinging between the second and third divisions. In 2017, at home in the World Cup in Kiev, Ukrainians again took the last 6th place in the second division, after which they left for the third league for seven years.

The breakthrough occurred in the last 2024. Contrary to all the horrors of the war on their native land, Ukrainians came to Vilnius in the status of one of the favorites of the tournament and spent all five matches in one breathing. The team won five wins in the main time with the total difference of washer 31-2, and for the first time in many years returned to the second level of world hockey.

Get to the two strongest

If one team exchange is exchanged between the second and third divisions-the best of the third to the worst on the other, then in order to climb the top, the team from the second division is enough to take the 2nd place in your tournament. The fact is that in the elite division, the 16 strongest teams of the world are divided into two groups of 8 teams in the first stage. And outsiders of both groups are dropped into the lower division. The match for 15-16 places, to determine the weakest team of the elite, is not held.

Thus, if all last years the Ukrainian team has fought exclusively for 1st place (or to be the last), now it is enough for it to fight for 2nd place. Although, given the status of a newcomer in the second most important division, the main thing is not to take the last place and do not leave to the third league.

In this regard, the main rivals of the Ukrainian national team will be the teams of Japan (5th place at the World Cup 2024) and the owners of the Romanian national team (4th place in the last tournament). But the contenders for raising in the classroom can include the national team of Italy and the losers of the elite World Cup 2024 from the United Kingdom and Poland.

Encouraging rehearsals

It is the match with the United Kingdom that Ukrainians will start their tournament on this year’s World Cup. And by the first game it will be possible to say whether the team has a real chance of getting into the elite division already following the results of this year’s World Cup.

Control matches during the preparation for the World Cup showed that Ukrainian fans can hope for a successful performance. Thus, in matches with the team of Poland, « Yellow-blue » first won 3: 2 in a series of Bulites, and then gave way to the same score, but already in the overtime, again raising the main time of the game. Thus, the Ukrainian team played exactly twice with a national team, which a year ago performed in the elite division of the world hockey.

The Ukrainian team also won the last third match in preparation for the World Cup – in the Japan national team (1: 0), theoretically, a direct competitor in the struggle for survival in the second division.

« I hope there will be time to correct the mistakes »

The defender of the national team of Ukraine Yevhen Ratushny after the matches with the Poles said:

« Good matches. They saw at what speeds the World Championships will take place. Our errors to the start of the tournament were seen. In the second match, they came out in the third period without concentration when they were 2-0. The opponent felt the game, played and won in Overtime.

The debut of Alexander Levin goalkeeper? I will not give a grade, but he worked well, played on a level and helped win. All the guys helped him enter the game, « the Town Hall added.

The unstable game of the team was also noted by the head coach Dmitry Christich.

« Intense matches. In the first they returned to the game with 0: 2 and won after Overtime, and in the second it was on the contrary, the opponent made Cambek and won in overtime. I hope it will be time to correct his mistakes.

In the second match, there was a feeling that the third period came out as if they had already done work. And the Poles put pressure, and we could not gather again. Of course, the composition was not optimal, and now there are injuries. There is still time to the World Cup. It is a pity that the third period came out with this attitude,  » – adds the head coach of the national team of Ukraine.

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Captain’s anniversary

The first match with the Polish national team in preparation for the current World Cup was a landmark for the captain of the Ukrainian team. Igor Merezhko spent the 50th anniversary game as part of the national team. And now, given the other two matches, the number of games in his account has increased to 52. There are also five matches of the World Cup.

A pupil of Kharkiv hockey, and now the player of the Czech HC Plyzen, who will turn 27 years old on the last day of April, began his career in the Austrian Red Bully. He then spent four years overseas, in Canada, performed in teams from Uzbekistan, Russia, Denmark and Slovakia. He has never played in Ukrainian clubs, but never forgot about his native country. And since 2022 he has been the captain of the national team.

The composition of the national team of Ukraine

Goalkeepers: Bogdan Dyachenko (Sokil, Ukraine), Alexander Levshin (Toronto Patriots, Canada), Sergey Pisarenko (Fassa, Italy).

Defenders: Igor Merezhko (Plzeň, Czech Republic), Vladimir Volkov (Tebs Bratislava, Slovakia), Alexei Dakhnovsky (Topolcany, Slovakia), Ivan Sisak (Duna achielbikák), Artem Grenek (Mont) Ukraine), Philip Panga-Yuldashev (Jestrabi Prostejov, Czech Republic), Nikita Polotsky (Sokil, Ukraine), Gleb Varava (Storm, Odesa).

Attackers: Danilo More (Lukko, Finland), Vadim Mazur, Victor Zakharov, Denis Borodai, Alexey Yanishevsky (all – Sokil, Ukraine), Vitaliy Pupial, Gleb Kryvoshapkin (both – Kremenchuk, Ukraine), Elijah Kryklya (Storm, Ukraine), Alexei) Sosnowiec, Poland), Hilarion Kupriyanov (Dukla Jihlava U20, Czech Republic), Felix Morozov (Morzine-Avaz, France), Yaroslav Panchenko (Kyiv Kapitales, Ukraine), Alexander Perezhunko (Press, Sadin, Fadeev (Brengenzerwald, Austria), Andriy Deniskin (Torun, Poland)

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Schedule of the national team of Ukraine

• 27.04 | 16:00 | Ukraine is the United Kingdom
• 28.04 | 12:30 | Italy – Ukraine
• 30.04 | 19:30 | Ukraine is Romania
• 01.05 | 16:00 | Poland – Ukraine
• 03.05 | 12:30 | Japan – Ukraine

Where to look at the World Cup 2025

The direct ether of the World Cup matches in Ukraine will be available on the Public Sport channel, which is included in cable operators. In addition to broadcasting matches, the audience is also waiting for the analytical « Studio. Hockey » with the participation of journalists and invited experts.

The first match of our team against the United Kingdom will take place today, on Sunday, April 27. The beginning of the game is at 16:00 in Kyiv time. « Champion » will hold Text broadcast of the duel.