The Ukrainian national hockey team has learned who its final opponents will be at the 2027 World Championship
The Ukrainian national ice hockey team, which has returned to the top division of the World Championship for the first time in two decades, has learned the final list of opponents for the 2027 tournament. The list of group participants changed after one of the teams exercised its right to switch groups. As a result, the Ukrainian team has learned the final list of opponents for the upcoming world championship.
Changes to Ukraine’s group
Germany will host the 2027 World Hockey Championship from May 14 to 30. Following the group draw, the Ukrainian team was placed in Group A. Initially, the Slovakian team was supposed to be one of our national team’s opponents, but the International Ice Hockey Federation approved a “switch.”
This happened because, as the host of the tournament, Germany exercised its right under the regulations to choose its own group. The Germans chose Group A, thereby swapping places with Slovakia.
Full group lineup
All matches in our Group A will be hosted by the city of Düsseldorf at the PSD Bank Dome. In addition to the tournament hosts, the German national team, Dmitry Khristich’s squad will face the strongest hockey teams on the planet. These will be Finland (reigning world champions), Switzerland (silver medalists of the 2026 World Championship), Sweden (11-time world champions), Latvia (bronze medalists of the 2023 World Championship), as well as Austria and Slovenia.
Meanwhile, in Group B, whose matches will be held in Mannheim at the SAP Arena, the national teams of Canada, the United States, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, Norway, Hungary, and Kazakhstan will compete.
It is worth noting that the German national team, as the host of the competition, is automatically protected from relegation from the top division; however, on home ice, it will seek to redeem itself for its disappointing performance at the 2026 World Championship and compete for medals.
