Kyiv will welcome fans from across Europe and around the world this week, but it’s not Eurovision that will be drawing them. The IIHF World Hockey Championships Division 1A will see Ukraine battle teams from Austria, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Poland, and South Korea to earn one of two spots to the elite World Hockey Championships in Denmark next year. Kyiv was awarded the tournament after Donetsk had to withdraw as host of the 2015 event due to the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
Kyiv’s last Eurovision venue, the Palace of Sports, will be home to all of the action from April 22-28. The venue has been home to hockey in Kyiv since 1960, hosting the city’s beloved Sokil Kyiv, as well as the Division 1B World Championships and an Olympic qualification tournament for the 2018 games in Sochi, Russia. The arena saw a several million euro renovation in 2011 in advance of those events and has received refurbished dressing rooms, showers, bathrooms, tiling, and stairways in advance of this year’s tournament.
The NHL at Kyiv’s Palace of Sports: The Ukrainian capital’s Sokol Kyiv twice hosted NHL opponents. In 1989, the home team lost 5:2 to the defending Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames led by Joe Nieuwendyk and Sergei Makarov. In 1990, Kyiv welcomed the Mike Modano-led Minnesota North Stars and steamrolled that season’s Stanley Cup finalist 5:0
Two teams to earn promotion
In Kyiv, each team will play each other once during the tournament, with the top two teams advancing to next year’s elite level World Championships in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark. The last place squad will be relegated to Division 1B. Except for Ukraine’s opening game, which takes place on Saturday at 13:30, the home team will see 20:30 start times for its games. Here is a look at what to expect from the teams in Kyiv this week.
Ukrainian National Team Schedule:
April 22nd @ 13:30 vs. Hungary
April 23rd @ 20:30 vs. Poland
April 25th @ 20:30 vs. Austria
April 26th @ 20:30 vs. Kazakhstan
April 28th @ 20:30 vs. South Korea
Ukraine
Ranking: #22
Last Season: Promoted after winning Division 1B
Players to Watch: Eduard Zakharchenko (G), Vladyslav Havryk (F), Vitaliy Lyalka (F), Serhiy Babynets (F)
Ukraine’s national hockey team hit rock bottom two years ago, after failing to win a game at the 2015 Group 1A championships in Krakow, Poland. The tournament was initially supposed to be played at home and the players looked distracted after failing to hold a lead in 4 of their 5 games. The last place finish marked only the second time this once proud hockey nation was relegated to Group 1B. The team stormed back to host Group 1A this year by topping the lower group last year. Ukraine is essentially an all-star team made from the Ukrainian Premier League finalists this season – Donbas Donetsk and HC Kremenchuk. Keep your eye out for forward Serhiy Babynets and defender Volodomyr Aleksiuk, who are both coming off their 5th championship with Donbas. This looks to be a difficult group for the home team, but a win over elite level Slovenia at February’s Euro Hockey Challenge in Poland, as well as hard fought OT losses to both Italy and Poland – and the home crowd – should give the team reason to believe in promotion.
Roster:
Goalies (3): Eduard Zakharchenko (HC Kremenchuk), Andriy Bezkhlibniy (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih), Bohdan Dyachenko (Donbas Donetsk)
Defence (11): Volodomyr Aleksiuk, Oleksandr Pobedonostsev, Denys Petrukhno, Ihor Kuhut, Vsevolod Tolstushko (all from Donbas Donetsk), Vitaliy Andriykiv, Volodomyr Varivoda, Denys Isayenko, Dmytro Ihnatenko, Oleksiy Melnikov (all from HC Kremenchuk), Kyrylo Katrych (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih)
Forwards (14): Serhiy Babynets, Vitaliy Lyalka, Mykyta Butsenko, Artem Bondarev, Dmytro Nimenko, Oleh Shafarenko (all from Donbas Donetsk), Vladislav Havryk, Artem Hnidenko, Yuriy Petranhovsky, Serhiy Kuzmyk, Heorhiy Kicha, Sevastyan Karpenko, Dmytro Chernyshenko (all from HC Kremenchuk), Andriy Denyskin (Hampton Road Whalers – AHL, USA)
Hungary
Ranking: #19
Last Season: Relegated after finishing last in Group B of the World Championships
Plays Ukraine: Saturday, April 22nd at 13:30
After tasting victory for the first time at the elite level World Championships last year, Hungary was crushed to be relegated on the final day of the preliminary round. With the core of the team returning to this event, you can bet they’ll be hungry to make the quick jump back up. Keep your eye on Canadian-Hungarian sniper Andrew Saraurer and national team stalwarts Janos and Marton Vas. The team’s recent results have been spotty, with losses at the Euro Challenges in Hungary in November and Korea in February, but wins over Division 1A rivals Korea and Poland – as well as their inspired performance at the elite level last year – makes Hungary one of the most dangerous teams travelling to Kyiv.
Poland
Ranking: #20
Last Season: 3rd in Division 1A
Plays Ukraine: Sunday, April 23rd at 20:30
Poland played the bridesmaid the past two seasons while hosting the group in Krakow and Katowice. Narrowly missing out on promotion two straight years will make this group extra motivated. Teams will want to watch out for last year’s top forward Patryk Wronka and 2015’s top goaltender Przemyslaw Odrobny. Poland has had a rough season, finishing last in their Olympic qualification group and 5th at the Euro Challenge in Hungary. A win over elite group Italy at February’s Euro Challenge in Poland, as well as a shootout win over Ukraine, should give the team some swagger in Kyiv.
Kazakhstan
Ranking: #16
Last Season: Relegated after finishing last in Group A of the World Championships
Plays Ukraine: Wednesday, April 26th at 20:30
Let’s be clear – Kazakhstan is the team to beat in Kyiv. The team has been bouncing back and forth between the elite division and Division 1A since 2009. During that time, the team has added two Asian Winter Games titles, including this winter by not conceding a goal while dominating teams including Division 1A rival South Korea. Kazakhstan is led by Canadian-Kazakhstani former NHLers Nigel Dawes and Dustin Boyd, who together led the squad in scoring at the elite level last year. This top-ranked Asian team looks like a shoe-in to return to the elite level tournament in Denmark next year.
Austria
Ranking: #17
Last Season: 4th in Division 1A
Plays Ukraine: Tuesday, April 25th at 20:30
Austria’s performance last year in Katowice can only be considered a catastrophe. The team failed to bounce back to the elite level for the first time in nearly 20 years. Their humiliating 4th-place finish marked the worst-ever showing for the Austrian hockey team and they will be determined to make up for it in Kyiv. It has not been a nice winter for Austria. They were blown out in their Olympic qualification tournament in September and lost to South Korea to finish 3rd at the Euro Challenge in Hungary. The team is trending in the right direction though, after topping February’s Euro Challenge in Austria with wins over elite level Norway and France. If goaltender Bernhard Starkbaum can repeat his Best Goaltender form from last year, Austria could be a very difficult team to beat.
South Korea
Ranking: #23
Last Season: 5th in Division 1A
Plays Ukraine: Friday, April 28th at 20:30
Don’t tell South Korea that this tournament is just a warm-up for them on their way to their first ever Olympic hockey appearance when they host the Olympics next winter. The Koreans are playing the best hockey in their history, including a best-ever 5th place finish in last year’s Division 1A. This winter has seen the team win silver at the Asian Winter Games, top the Euro Challenge in Hungary, and tie for first as host of the Euro Challenge in February. Wins over traditionally stronger teams like Denmark, Hungary, and Austria this year mean this group will feel like they can claim one of the two promotion spots to next year’s world championships. Five North American-born players, including goaltender Matt Dalton and former NHLer Bryan Young, lead the team.
