The first matches of the U-20 World Junior Hockey Championship, held in the elite league in the USA, have ended.

The current champion and host of the tournament defeated the German team without any problems with a score of 6:3 and scored three goals each in the first and second periods.

Forward Will Zellers scored two goals and one assist. Earlier in this group, Sweden beat Slovakia.

In Group B, Finland defeated Denmark 6-2, while Canada defeated the Czech Republic 7-5 with four goals in the third period in a tough match.

World Hockey Championship U-20. Group A

Germany – America 3:6 (1:3, 2:3, 0:0)

Stamps: 05:54 Plant – 0:1, 10:53 Reed – 0:2, 15:55 Horcoff – 0:3, 17:39 Kose – 1:3, 25:46 Seidl – 2:3, 30:31 Zellers – 2:4, 31:27 Boos – 3:4, 34:58 Zellers – 3:5, 38:07 Iceman – 3:6

Goalkeepers: Nisse – Hale

Group B

Denmark – Finland 2:6 (1:3, 0:3, 1:0)

Discs: 01:48 Vesterinen – 0:1, 02:19 Kalto – 0:2, 06:08 Bundgard – 1:2, 10:07 Suvanto – 1:3, 24:45 Koivu – 1:4, 26:19 Sarelainen – 1:5, 32:21 Vesterinen – 1:6, 42:22 Linda-2:6

Goalkeepers: Vilde-Rimpinen

Czech Republic – Canada 5:7 (1:2, 2:1, 2:4)

Discs: 13:53 Martin – 0:1, 17:01 Poletin – 1:1, 17:38 Hage – 1:2, 24:04 Tsinar – 2:2, 32:13 Sikora – 3:2, 37:03 Parek – 3:3, 43:49 Parek – 3:4, 45:21 Poletin – 4:4, 46:32 Iginla – 4:5, 49:12 Mackenzie – 4:6, 55:26 Galvas – 5:6, 59:00 Martone – 5:7

Goalkeepers: Korsulak – George

Dmitry Khristich, the coach of the Ukraine national hockey team, made a 2025 prediction for the team. The main event was the World Championship in Division 1A, where the team only lost their chance to reach the elite league in the last match.

“I think the year has been positive. We won most of our matches. I also rate our performance in the World Championship positively. Many people probably wanted us to get into the elite league immediately, but I believe that we need to gain experience and confidence at this level. You have to believe in yourself and build on your experience by getting positive results against D1A teams and promotion teams that constantly jump from league to league.”

“We need to learn to play the full 60 minutes, to play against any opponent, to be tactically flexible… All these and many other nuances still need to be worked out,” Khristic said.

The International Ice Hockey Federation has published the schedule of matches of the U-18 World Championship in Division 1A, where the Ukrainian national team plays.

In the tournament to be held in Poland in April 2026, the Ukrainian players’ opponents will be the national teams of Slovakia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Poland and Switzerland.

The winner of the group will advance to the elite, while the last team will be eliminated.

It should be noted that at the moment the nearest world championship will start on December 7, when the Ukrainian U-20 youth team will begin its performances in Division 1A.

Calendar

18 April

Slovakia – Ukraine

19 April

Hungary – Ukraine

21 April

Ukraine – Kazakhstan

April 23

Ukraine – Poland

24 April

Switzerland – Ukraine