Matches, broadcasts, favorites, odds
April 27 Ukrainian national hockey team starts at the World Championships in Division IB, which will take place in Vilnius. The blue-yellows’ opponents will be national teams Lithuania, China, the Netherlands, Estonia and Spain. Based on the results of the one-round tournament, only one team will receive the right to advance in class. We tell you that you need to know about the World Hockey Championship in Division IB, where the Ukrainian national team will play.
Tasks of the Ukrainian national team on World Hockey Championship in the Division I.B.
Last year, the blue-yellows took second place in the group, missing out on Japan in the division above. Of the five matches, Ukraine won three (against Serbia, Estonia, the Netherlands), lost one in overtime (to China), and lost one in regular time (to Japan). At the same time, the Ukrainians became the most productive team in the group, scoring 35 goals (Japan had 29), and six blue-and-yellow players scored ten or more points in five matches.
Second place at the 2023 World Cup was a step forward compared to the 2022 World Cup, where Ukraine finished third. However, the task of moving up a division was not completed. The Ukrainian team will try to implement it in Lithuania. Let us note that the last time Ukraine played in the elite division of world hockey (this is two levels higher) was in 2007.
Rivals of the Ukrainian national team on World Ice Hockey Championship in Division I.B.
Ukraine played with three of the five teams – Estonia, China and the Netherlands – last year. Lithuania spent 2023 in Division IA, Spain in IIB.
Lithuania is the team with the highest position in the International Hockey Federation ranking – 24th place. China occupies 26th position, Ukraine – 27th. Estonia is currently 28th, the Netherlands – 29th, Spain – 32nd.
Lithuania lost all five matches in Division IA last year and will play in the third world hockey division for the first time since 2018. The class of the team, as well as their home walls, make Lithuania the favorite of the tournament. The national team has quality foreign players, as well as the youngest player in the tournament – 17-year-old Simonas Valivonis from Liepaja.
China finished third last year but are now hoping for more despite a team overhaul. It is still difficult to say what to expect from the representatives of the Middle Kingdom, but matches with China will not be an easy walk for anyone.
As well as games with Estonia, which has not left the IB division for eight years. Last year, the Estonians caused problems for Ukraine, although they lost 4:7. In this case, the team has a new coach – Finnish specialist Petri Skriko, who replaced his compatriot Jussi Tupamaki, who led the Estonian national team for seven years.
The Dutch national team has the most domestic roster: only one hockey player from the team’s squad plays outside the country. This is defender Victor Nordemann, who plays for the German Iserlohn. The Netherlands lost to Ukraine last year – 2:14.
As for the Spanish national team, the Pyrenean team will play in Division IB for the first time in 13 years. The task of the weakest team in the group, at least it seems so before the start of the tournament, is to maintain registration.
Who’s the favorite World Hockey Championship in the Division I.B.
According to bookmakers, the Lithuanian national team has the highest chances of promotion. The likelihood of such a development of events bookmakers estimate it as 1×2.9. Chances of reaching a division higher than Ukraine is estimated as 1×3.5.
China is third in the forecasts. The probability of his victory in Lithuania is 1×4.
Who was included in the application of the Ukrainian national team on World Ice Hockey Championship in Division I.B.
The blue-yellow team includes 14 foreign players, as well as representatives of three Ukrainian clubs – Sokol, Dnepr and Kremenchug. The capital club delegated the most players – six, Dnepr was represented by three hockey players, Kremenchug – two. Following the results of the preparatory training camp, defender Vladimir Volkov (HC Modre Kridla Slovan, Slovakia), as well as forwards Mikhail Simchuk (Grand Canyon Univ, USA) and Ilya Korenchuk (GKS Tychy, Poland) left the national team.
In addition, the captain of the national team, Igor Merezhko, joined the team already in Vilnius, on the day of its first match at the world championship. The team’s application is here.
Schedule of matches of the Ukrainian national team at World Hockey Championship in the Division I.B.
Our team will play the tournament matches in two time slots – at 12:30 and 19:30. At the World Cup, Ukraine starts on Saturday, April 27 with a match against Estonia. The team will conclude the World Championship on May 3 with a match against Lithuania.
27.04, 19:30 – Estonia – Ukraine
28.04, 19:30 – Ukraine – Netherlands
30.04, 12:30 – Ukraine – China
01.05, 12:30 – Ukraine – Spain
03.05, 19:30 – Lithuania – Ukraine
Where to watch matches World Hockey Championship in the Division I.B.
Live online video broadcasts of the World Hockey Championship matches in Division IB can be seen in Ukraine. In our country, the tournament will be shown by Setanta Sports. Our team’s matches will be freely available to viewers on the Setanta Sports YouTube channel. Also before the start of the first game there will be an Extra Time studio with the participation of experts and invited guests.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
