Ukraine's Final Preparations for the World Championship
Ukraine's national hockey team is putting the finishing touches on its preparations for the Division 1A World Championship, which kicks off on May 2 in Poland. The squad is spending its last day of training camp in Bytom, Poland, before moving to Sosnowiec on May 1. Head coach Dmytro Khrystych and his staff have trimmed the roster by seven players, leaving 24 athletes on the active list. One more player is expected to be cut before the tournament begins.
Team Lineup
Among those released from the national team camp are goaltender Serhii Pysarenko, defensemen Volodymyr Volkov, Hlib Petrov, and Ivan Korodiuk, as well as forwards Mykhailo Simchuk, Bohdan Panasenko, and Illia Shybinskyi. Ukraine's opening match will be against host nation Poland on May 2, with puck drop scheduled for 8:30 PM local time.
Ukraine will compete in Division 1A alongside the following opponents:
- Poland
- Lithuania
- France
- Kazakhstan
- Japan
The goaltenders remaining on the roster include:
- Bohdan Diachenko (Polonia Bytom, Poland)
- Oleh Petrov (Sokil, Ukraine)
- Oleksandr Levshyn (Prince George Cougars, Canada)
The defensive corps consists of:
- 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)
The forward group features:
- 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)
- Felix Morozov (Morzine-Avoriaz, France)
- Viktor Zakharov (Sokil, Ukraine)
- Denys Borodai (Sokil, Ukraine)
- Mykyta Oliinyk (Sokil, Ukraine)
- Artem Buzoveria (Coventry Blaze, United Kingdom)
- Oleksii Yevtiekhov (Pardubice B, Czech Republic)
This preparation phase marks a critical moment for Ukrainian hockey, as the team looks to prove itself on the international stage. A strong showing in Poland could boost the sport's profile at home and inspire greater youth participation. The competition promises to be fierce, with Ukraine facing tough rivals like Poland and France in the division.
As Ukraine's national hockey team gears up for the upcoming championship, fans can look back at their recent training session and see how the squad is evolving. For a detailed analysis of their final preparations and the significance of their first match against Poland, check out our coverage on the team's training wrap-up.