The historic breakthrough of the Ukrainian national ice hockey team, which regained its place in the elite division for the first time in two decades, turned into an unexpected crisis within the coaching staff. Former head coach of the national team Oleg Shafarenko, in an interview with the publication «Suspilne Sport» (citing RBC-Ukraine), revealed shocking details about working with the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine (IHFU).
The main insight is that the triumphant victories did not become the reason for officially recognizing the merits. On the contrary, negotiations for a full-fledged contract were canceled precisely after the promotion to the world elite.
Three Years of Work on Enthusiasm
According to Shafarenko, the Federation's official position that the «term of the agreements has expired» does not correspond to reality. Legally, no long-term documents between the coaching staff and the IHFU ever existed.
The specialist admitted that he worked three seasons without a contract. Financing was based exclusively on bonuses and small payments during training camps or directly during the World Championships.
«Over these three years, we perhaps decided that we finally proved our right to a full-fledged contract. But, unfortunately, our views with the IHFU did not fully align,» — noted the coach.
The Paradox of Success: Theorists vs. Realities
The situation acquired an absurd tint: the grand success in the 2026 season became a sort of «cruel joke» for the duo of Dmytro Khrystyich and Oleg Shafarenko. As soon as the team returned to the elite, a group of advisors suddenly became active in the Federation.
Shafarenko describes them as «theorists» who began to impose solutions relevant to leading hockey powers, but completely inconsistent with the realities of Ukrainian sports. The coaches expected adequate conditions and fair remuneration for the historical result, stating that their staff «deserves a little more».
Conflict with Management and Players' Reaction
Attempts to negotiate with the President of the IHFU, Serhiy Mazur, did not yield results. During negotiations, Oleg Shafarenko was asked to leave the post of head coach of Kyiv's «Sokil». Although the Federation later met him halfway on this issue, a universal compromise was never found.
The personnel policy of the IHFU caused serious resonance within the team. Team captain Ihor Merezhko publicly expressed disappointment that the parties could not find common ground.
Shafarenko himself claims that he did not try to incite the players, but the hockey players themselves took the initiative, literally «tearing» the coach's phone with the question: «How is this possible?». Despite the emotional background, the former coach urged the players to leave emotions aside and continue fighting for the honor of the country in the elite division, regardless of who will lead the team in the future.