For our country’s birthday, we have gathered some interesting facts that stand out in the hockey history of Ukraine.
Fact 1. The Birth of the National Team
On May 6, 1992, Ukraine became a member of the IIHF. Since then, Ukrainian hockey has had its own flag, emblem, and rightful place in world hockey.
Fact 2. The Biggest Victory
On March 13, 1993, Ukraine defeated Belgium with a score of 37:2. This victory remains the largest in the history of the men’s national team.
Fact 3. Participation in the Olympic Games
Ukraine played its first and, so far, only Winter Olympic Games in 2002 in Salt Lake City, USA.
Fact 4. Ukraine in the World’s Top 10
Our national team placed ninth at the 2002 World Championship.
Fact 5. Top of the IIHF Ranking
In 2003, Ukraine climbed to 11th place in the IIHF world ranking.
Fact 6. Nine Years in the Elite
For nine consecutive World Championships (1999–2007), Ukraine competed among the strongest national teams on the planet.
Fact 7. The First in the NHL – and Still in the Game: Oleksandr Hodyniuk
In 1990, Oleksandr Hodyniuk became the first Ukrainian in the NHL, playing seven seasons. Today, he is a scout for the Vegas Golden Knights, a role in which he won the Stanley Cup in 2023.
Fact 8. The Highest-Scoring Ukrainian in NHL History
This title belongs to Dmytro Khrystych. He boasts a record of 811 games and 596 points.
Fact 9. Over 1000 Games in the NHL
Oleksii Zhytnyk played 1085 games in the NHL.
Fact 10. We Are Returning – 2027
In 2026, Ukraine won the right to play in the Elite Division of the 2027 World Championship.
Fact 11. Ukrainians with the Stanley Cup (1940–2009)
1940 – Oleksandr Shybytskyi
1942 – Petro Landiak
1952, 1955 – Viktor Stasiuk
1952, 1954, 1955, 1967 – Terry Sawchuk
1974, 1975 – Orest Kindrachuk
2004 – Dave Andreychuk
2004, 2009 – Ruslan Fedotenko
Fact 12. A Double in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final
In the seventh game of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final series, Ruslan Fedotenko scored both goals for the Tampa Bay Lightning, bringing the club its first title in history.
Fact 13. The Perfect 1998 World Championship
At the World Championship (Group B), the Ukrainian national team won all 7 of their matches, earning 14 points (38:13). The result was a first-place finish and promotion to the elite division of world hockey.
Fact 14. Return to Division 1A of the World Championship (U-20)
The Ukrainian youth national team won the World Championship in Division 1B and was promoted to Division 1A.
Fact 15. Medals in Division 1A of the World Championship (U-18)
The Ukrainian junior national team took third place in Division 1A of the 2026 World Championship.
Fact 16. Gold Medals for the Women’s National Team
The Ukrainian women’s national team won the World Championship in Division 3A and earned a promotion.
Fact 17. The Debut Ukrainian Championship
The very first domestic championship started just one year after the declaration of independence – during the 1992/1993 season.
Fact 18. The Ukrainian Footprint in the Slap Shot
Oleksandr Shybytskyi is one of the pioneers of the powerful slap shot, having tested it back in 1936. Born in Winnipeg to a family of Ukrainian immigrants, he played for the New York Rangers and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 1940.
Fact 19. «I am 100% Ukrainian» – Orest Kindrachuk
Kindrachuk was born into a Ukrainian family in Canada. For a long time, he spoke only Ukrainian, and he went on to win the Stanley Cup twice with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Fact 20. The Uke Line
In the 1950s, the Boston Bruins featured the legendary «Uke Line» – the first famous forward line of hockey players of Ukrainian descent in the NHL. It consisted of Johnny Bucyk, Bronco Horvath, and Vic Stasiuk.
Fact 21. They Gave Their Lives for Ukraine
Mykola Antoshkin, Nikita Litvinov, Oleksandr Poida, Denys Pashynskyi, Makar Yerofeiev, Oleksiy Lohinov, Vladyslav Lykhoshva, Oleksandr Koloniuk, Oleksandr Khmil, and Yaroslav Harkavko were all part of Ukrainian hockey. Each of them gave their lives defending Ukraine. Eternal memory to the heroes!
Fact 22. From the Ice to the Defense Forces
A significant number of representatives from the hockey family are currently serving in the Defense Forces. Oleksii Lazarenko is a Chief Sergeant in the Kraken special unit of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR MOU). Viktoriia Tkachenko, a goalkeeper for the Ukrainian national team, is a combat medic in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. Oleksandr Matviichuk, a five-time champion of Ukraine, is a DIU fighter who was severely wounded defending Ukraine. Mykola Voroshnov and Vadym Seliverstov, both goalkeepers (the latter for the national team), are servicemen in the Defense Forces of Ukraine. They traded their hockey uniforms for military gear but continue to defend the honor of Ukraine.
Fact 23. The Story Continues
From the national team’s first match in 1992 to the return to the elite of world hockey. From Ukrainians in the NHL to the new generation representing Ukraine today. Our hockey continues to live on and promote Ukraine across the world. New victories lie ahead.
Fact 24. The Most Important Fact
Ukrainian hockey exists thanks to the Defense Forces of Ukraine. It is our defenders who make it possible to step onto the ice, play under the Ukrainian flag, represent Ukraine globally, raise a new generation of hockey players, and continue writing the history of Ukrainian hockey.
Thank you to the Defense Forces of Ukraine!
