Ukraine’s Ice Hockey Campaign in 2026
Ukraine’s national ice hockey team will begin its journey in Division IA of the World Championship on May 2, 2026. The opening match against Poland is scheduled for 8:30 PM Kyiv time. This contest marks a critical moment for the Ukrainian squad, which is competing in this division for the second consecutive year. Notably, in 2025, the team fell just short of earning promotion to a higher tier.
As of 8:10 AM on May 2, 2026, bookmakers at GGBET have set the odds for a Poland win at 2.18, while a Ukraine victory is priced at 2.65. A draw in regulation time, potentially leading to overtime, carries odds of 3.198. Additionally, bettors can wager on the total goals: over 4.5 goals at 1.67 and under 4.5 goals at 2.04.
Team Roster and Opponents
In 2026, Ukraine will face the following opponents:
- Kazakhstan
- Poland
- France
- Lithuania
- Japan
The top two teams in the tournament will secure promotion, while the last-place team will be relegated. Ukraine’s roster for the World Championship looks impressive and ready for the challenges ahead. The goaltenders are:
- Bohdan Diachenko (Polonia Bytom, Poland)
- Oleh Petrov (Sokil, Ukraine)
- Oleksandr Levshyn (Prince George Cougars, Canada)
Defensemen:
- Ihor Merezhko (Plzeň, Czech Republic)
- Artem Hrebenyk (Caen, France)
- Denys Matusevych (Kremenchuk, Ukraine)
- Oleksii Dakhnovskyi (Košice, Slovakia)
- Yevhenii Ratushnyi (Sokil, Ukraine)
- Ivan Sysak (Feltre, Italy)
- Mykola Kosarev (Stavanger Oilers, Norway)
Forwards:
- Oleksandr Peresunko (Unia, Poland)
- Daniil Trakht (Lukko, Finland)
- Andrii Denyskin (Toruń, Poland)
- Oleksii Vorona (Toruń, Poland)
- Vitalii Lialka (Kremenchuk, Ukraine)
- Stanislav Sadovikov (Berani Zlín, Czech Republic)
- Ilarion Kupriianov (Dukla Jihlava, Czech Republic)
- Yevhen Fadieiev (Snackpoint Eaters Limburg, Netherlands)
- Feliks Morozov (Morzine-Avoriaz, France)
- Viktor Zakharov (Sokil, Ukraine)
- Denys Borodai (Sokil, Ukraine)
- Mykyta Oliinyk (Sokil, Ukraine)
- Artem Buzoveria (Coventry Blaze, Great Britain)
Ukraine’s match schedule for the 2026 World Championship Division IA is as follows:
- May 2 at 8:30 PM – Poland vs. Ukraine
- May 3 at 5:00 PM – Ukraine vs. Lithuania
- May 5 at 5:00 PM – France vs. Ukraine
- May 7 at 5:00 PM – Ukraine vs. Kazakhstan
- May 8 at 5:00 PM – Ukraine vs. Japan
Fans can watch the games on the Suspilne Sport platform and local Suspilne channels.
This championship is a major milestone for Ukraine’s team, which aims to improve its standing in global ice hockey. A strong performance here would give Ukrainian players another shot at advancing to the top division, a significant achievement for the country’s sports development.
As Ukraine's national ice hockey team prepares for their opening match against Poland, it's worth noting the recent success of other Ukrainian teams on the international stage. For instance, the U18 squad secured a notable victory in their World Championship opener, which could serve as an inspiration for the senior team as they aim for promotion this year.