Ukraine



Ukraine is a country in eastern Europe.

It has a population of over 46,000,000.

Ukraine was a part of the former Soviet Union.

It borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, and Romania and Moldova to the southwest.

The first hockey games were played in Ukraine in 1912 when two teams from Kharkov played a series of exhibition games. The real development of Ukrainian hockey began in 1946-47 when Spartak Uzhgorad was invited to participate in the first Soviet championships league. In 1963, Dynamo Kiev (later Sokol Kiev) was created. It would become the best team in Ukraine. In 1985, it won bronze medal in the league.

When the Soviet Union disintegrated, Sokol Kiev joined the Interstate Hockey League. It also won the first Ukrainian national championship in 1992. Before the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation was a part of the Soviet federation. It became an independent body in 1992 and became a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation.

In 1993 Ukraine competed in the World Championships for the first time as an independent nation. They finished 2nd in Pool C. Ukraine won Pool C in 1997 and year later it was a winner of Pool B. Since then, Ukraine has played in Pool A of the World Championships. In the Salt Lake City Olympics, Ukraine finished 9th. The country's U20 team has also competed also in Pool A of the World Junior Championships. The U18 team has participated in Division II. Ukraine’s women’s team has not played at the World Championships as there are only 12 registered Female players.

National Teams

 * Ukraine men's national ice hockey team
 * Ukraine men's national junior ice hockey team
 * Ukraine men's national U-18 ice hockey team

Leagues

 * Ukrainian Hockey League


 * Vyscha Liha