Ukraine's national ice hockey team has achieved a significant milestone, earning promotion back to the elite division of the IIHF World Championship. The team secured its place by finishing in second place in Group A of Division I, accumulating a total of 10 points during the tournament held in Sosnowiec, Poland.
The promotion was confirmed following the final match of the tournament, where host nation Poland failed to defeat Lithuania in regulation time, losing 2-1 in overtime. This result meant Poland could not overtake Ukraine in the final standings, securing the second promotion spot for the Ukrainian squad.
Tournament champions Kazakhstan also earned promotion to the top tier, finishing first in the group with a commanding 13 points. Both Kazakhstan and Ukraine will replace the two lowest-ranked teams from the elite division following the conclusion of the 2026 IIHF World Championship preliminary round in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland.
This marks a historic return for Ukrainian hockey on the world stage. The last time the national team competed in the elite division was at the 2007 World Championship hosted in Russia. Following that tournament, Ukraine was relegated to Division I Group A, where it has competed for the past 18 years.
The 2027 IIHF World Championship, where Ukraine will make its elite division return, is scheduled to take place in the German cities of Düsseldorf and Mannheim. The tournament will feature the world's top 16 hockey nations competing for the gold medal.
Ukraine's promotion represents a major achievement for the country's hockey program, which has worked to rebuild and develop its competitive standing over nearly two decades. The team's performance in Poland demonstrated consistent play throughout the tournament to secure the crucial second-place finish.
The promotion pathway required Ukraine to outperform several strong Division I competitors, including the host nation Poland. The final standings highlight the competitive nature of the tournament, with Kazakhstan dominating and Ukraine doing enough to hold off late challenges from other teams.
Based on reporting from Чемпионат.com.