photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Brit Maria Tael
Perfect record for victors in Tallinn
A convincing final-day 7-2 victory over Japan clinched gold for Ukraine at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division I Group B in Tallinn, Estonia. Ukraine´s next generation proved unstoppable at this level, winning all five games to advance to next year´s U20 Division I Group A.
"Only first place was an option for us going into this tournament," said Ukrainian defenceman Mykola Kosarev. "Our U18 national team plays in Division I Group A and so does our men´s national team. We wanted to step up to the same level."
Ukraine´s trajectory is on the rise again after 12 straight appearances in Division I Group B and recent heartbreaks from falling at the final hurdle for promotion in 2023 and 2024. A 17th-place overall finish in World Championship competition marks the best finish for the Ukrainian U20 team since 2007. Fiften members of the gold medal-winning roster will be eligible for play in next year’s Division I Group A tournament.
At Tallinn´s Tondiraba Ice Arena, Ukraine got off a comfortable start, outshining the Estonian hosts 8-1. Next came a 3-0 shutout versus neighbouring Poland, and then a tougher battle in a 6-5 victory over Italy. Coach Andri Sryubko’s team had five different goal-scorers in a 5-2 win versus newly promoted Korea on Day Four.
In the final game versus Japan, Ukraine needed just one point to win gold. With the Ukrainians piling on the pressure, Olexi Yevtiekhov drew first blood midway through the first period. Ukraine enjoyed a 16-6 edge in shots on goal in those opening 20 minutes. Heavy forechecking paid off again as Marko Mironov doubled the lead at 12:49, scoring off a Nikita Kulikov feed.
In the early stages of the middle frame, Japan´s game plan briefly worked a treat, as Ukraine hardly got a sniff of the puck. But then the Japanese fell apart in just 88 seconds. Mykhailo Haponenko, returning after serving a one-game suspension, stole the puck from Japan´s Sora Mori, raced in on a breakaway and coolly put Ukraine´s third goal past netminder Towa Otsuka at 4:05. Just six seconds later, Mironov added his second of the afternoon.
Despite Japan’s calling a timeout and replacing Otsuka with Jin Yoshida in net, Ukraine proved unstoppable. Just 22 seconds after play had resumed, Danylo Baida piled on the misery for Japan with his 5-0 strike.
Junya Kokuwa got Japan on the board on the power play before Ilarion Kuprianov restored Ukraine´s five-goal cushion with his 6-1 goal just ahead of the second intermission. Teito Ishigaki netted a third-period consolationtally for Japan before the dominant blueliner Kosarov capped off his excellent tournament by scoring Ukraine´s final goal on a one-man advantage.
Skating for nine-time Norwegian champions Stavanger Oilers, the Kharkiv-born Kosarov scored his first goal in senior hockey on his 17th birthday on 24 October last year. Together with Yevtiekhov, he led Ukraine in scoring in Tallinn, with both players notching eight points (3+5=8) in five games.
At the other end, 18-year-old netminder Alexander Levshin played all the games for Ukraine and had the tournament´s best GAA (2.00) and save percentage (90.91), including one shutout.
Allowing the most goals in Tallinn (24), second-place Japan was led by Taisetsu Ushio offensively. He finished as the tournament´s top-scorer with 11 points (7+4=11) in five games. The Japanese saw reason for optimism overall.
"I feel we have a better skill level and are a more offensive team than the previous two years," said Japan´s Kaito Okubo, skating in IIHF U20 competition for the third time. "We know Ukraine is bigger and physical, but we are a faster team. We need to keep moving our feet, dump the puck deep, and keep producing offensively while having a great defensive game.”
In front of the tournament’s biggest audience (2451), Italy rallied to beat Estonia 4-3 in the closing game to win bronze for the third year running. The 18-year-old Fallou Mbow enjoyed a fine rookie run, finishing joint second in overall scoring with 10 (5+5=10) points.
With nine U18 players on Estonia´s roster, the youngest team of the tournament created Estonian hockey folklore versus Poland on Day Four. With time quickly running out and Poland holding a 2-0 lead, Estonia got into gear late, scoring thrice. Demid Morozov tied the game with an empty netter with 45 seconds left to play in regulation. With 0.4 seconds left, David Timofejev thumped home a close-range rebound to complete a remarkable turnaround and a memorable 3-2 victory.
The top Polish line with Maksymilian Dawid teaming up with the Hofman twins, Jakub and Jonasz played a key role, as Poland once again left it late to ensure survival. In a nervy 2-1 final-day win versus Korea, Jakub Hofman got Poland in front early in the first frame. Jonasz then netted the game-winning goal as Poland held out to finish fifth.
Soo Min Chae scored in regulation and had the game-winning penalty shot as newly promoted Korea opened its campaign with a shootout win versus Japan. Despite celebrating their first success versus their Asian rivals in this competition in over 16 years, the Koreans failed to add to their points tally after that, and must head straight back down to Division II Group A.
A convincing final-day 7-2 victory over Japan clinched gold for Ukraine at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division I Group B in Tallinn, Estonia. Ukraine´s next generation proved unstoppable at this level, winning all five games to advance to next year´s U20 Division I Group A.
"Only first place was an option for us going into this tournament," said Ukrainian defenceman Mykola Kosarev. "Our U18 national team plays in Division I Group A and so does our men´s national team. We wanted to step up to the same level."
Ukraine´s trajectory is on the rise again after 12 straight appearances in Division I Group B and recent heartbreaks from falling at the final hurdle for promotion in 2023 and 2024. A 17th-place overall finish in World Championship competition marks the best finish for the Ukrainian U20 team since 2007. Fiften members of the gold medal-winning roster will be eligible for play in next year’s Division I Group A tournament.
At Tallinn´s Tondiraba Ice Arena, Ukraine got off a comfortable start, outshining the Estonian hosts 8-1. Next came a 3-0 shutout versus neighbouring Poland, and then a tougher battle in a 6-5 victory over Italy. Coach Andri Sryubko’s team had five different goal-scorers in a 5-2 win versus newly promoted Korea on Day Four.
In the final game versus Japan, Ukraine needed just one point to win gold. With the Ukrainians piling on the pressure, Olexi Yevtiekhov drew first blood midway through the first period. Ukraine enjoyed a 16-6 edge in shots on goal in those opening 20 minutes. Heavy forechecking paid off again as Marko Mironov doubled the lead at 12:49, scoring off a Nikita Kulikov feed.
In the early stages of the middle frame, Japan´s game plan briefly worked a treat, as Ukraine hardly got a sniff of the puck. But then the Japanese fell apart in just 88 seconds. Mykhailo Haponenko, returning after serving a one-game suspension, stole the puck from Japan´s Sora Mori, raced in on a breakaway and coolly put Ukraine´s third goal past netminder Towa Otsuka at 4:05. Just six seconds later, Mironov added his second of the afternoon.
Despite Japan’s calling a timeout and replacing Otsuka with Jin Yoshida in net, Ukraine proved unstoppable. Just 22 seconds after play had resumed, Danylo Baida piled on the misery for Japan with his 5-0 strike.
Junya Kokuwa got Japan on the board on the power play before Ilarion Kuprianov restored Ukraine´s five-goal cushion with his 6-1 goal just ahead of the second intermission. Teito Ishigaki netted a third-period consolationtally for Japan before the dominant blueliner Kosarov capped off his excellent tournament by scoring Ukraine´s final goal on a one-man advantage.
Skating for nine-time Norwegian champions Stavanger Oilers, the Kharkiv-born Kosarov scored his first goal in senior hockey on his 17th birthday on 24 October last year. Together with Yevtiekhov, he led Ukraine in scoring in Tallinn, with both players notching eight points (3+5=8) in five games.
At the other end, 18-year-old netminder Alexander Levshin played all the games for Ukraine and had the tournament´s best GAA (2.00) and save percentage (90.91), including one shutout.
Allowing the most goals in Tallinn (24), second-place Japan was led by Taisetsu Ushio offensively. He finished as the tournament´s top-scorer with 11 points (7+4=11) in five games. The Japanese saw reason for optimism overall.
"I feel we have a better skill level and are a more offensive team than the previous two years," said Japan´s Kaito Okubo, skating in IIHF U20 competition for the third time. "We know Ukraine is bigger and physical, but we are a faster team. We need to keep moving our feet, dump the puck deep, and keep producing offensively while having a great defensive game.”
In front of the tournament’s biggest audience (2451), Italy rallied to beat Estonia 4-3 in the closing game to win bronze for the third year running. The 18-year-old Fallou Mbow enjoyed a fine rookie run, finishing joint second in overall scoring with 10 (5+5=10) points.
With nine U18 players on Estonia´s roster, the youngest team of the tournament created Estonian hockey folklore versus Poland on Day Four. With time quickly running out and Poland holding a 2-0 lead, Estonia got into gear late, scoring thrice. Demid Morozov tied the game with an empty netter with 45 seconds left to play in regulation. With 0.4 seconds left, David Timofejev thumped home a close-range rebound to complete a remarkable turnaround and a memorable 3-2 victory.
The top Polish line with Maksymilian Dawid teaming up with the Hofman twins, Jakub and Jonasz played a key role, as Poland once again left it late to ensure survival. In a nervy 2-1 final-day win versus Korea, Jakub Hofman got Poland in front early in the first frame. Jonasz then netted the game-winning goal as Poland held out to finish fifth.
Soo Min Chae scored in regulation and had the game-winning penalty shot as newly promoted Korea opened its campaign with a shootout win versus Japan. Despite celebrating their first success versus their Asian rivals in this competition in over 16 years, the Koreans failed to add to their points tally after that, and must head straight back down to Division II Group A.