Ukraine's national ice hockey team starts in the new tournament: all opponents and schedule

According to glavcom.ua: The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced the launch of a new ice hockey tournament - the European Nations Cup. The men's national team of Ukraine will participate in this competition. This information was reported by 'Glavkom' citing 'Suspilne Sport'.

According to plans, the World Championship in 2025 will be the last official tournament for the Ukrainian national team. Instead of friendly matches, the Ukrainian team will join the European Nations Cup, which will start in November 2025.

Content of the European Nations Cup

Initially, the IIHF planned for 12 teams to compete in the new tournament. However, the first edition of the Nations Cup will unite 18 teams, distributed into groups depending on their ranking. The competitions will take place in four tournaments: in November, December, February, and April. This will help avoid conflicts with clubs since they will not have matches on those dates.

Match format of the European Nations Cup

In each tournament, groups will have a different number of teams. In November, Ukraine will play against Romania and Lithuania. In December, Spain will join. In February 2026, Ukraine will meet Slovenia, Great Britain, and Poland.

In conclusion, the European Nations Cup in ice hockey will start in November 2025, offering a new tournament format and a chance for the Ukrainian national team to participate in competitions for a certain period after the World Championship.