--- title: "Ukraine Returns to the Elite: IIHF Releases the 2027 World Championship Top Division Schedule" description: "The IIHF has released the 2027 World Championship Top Division schedule: Ukraine will play in the elite for the first time since 2007, landing in Group A with Germany, Finland, and Sweden. Oleksiy Bobkin is the new head coach of the national team." date: 2026-09-07T14:40:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-hockey-2027-world-championship-top-division-schedule tags: [ice-hockey, iihf, world-championship-2027, ukraine-national-team, alexey-bobkin] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ukraine Returns to the Elite: IIHF Releases the 2027 World Championship Top Division Schedule ![Ukraine national ice hockey team players in yellow and blue IIHF jerseys huddle together on the ice ahead of the 2027 Top Division World Championship](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/07/ukraina-hokkey-chm-2027-top-divizion-raspisanie/ukraina-hokkey-chm-2027-top-divizion-raspisanie-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Ukraine will return to the Top Division of the World Hockey Championship for the first time since 2007 after finishing second in Division 1A at the 2026 World Championship. - The tournament will be hosted by Germany; Ukraine will play in Group A alongside Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Austria, and Slovenia. - In the round-robin phase there will be seven matches; the four best teams will advance to the quarterfinals, while the team finishing last in the group will be relegated. - The Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation changed its coaching staff: Oleksiy Bobkin replaced Dmytro Khrystych as head coach, with his debut set for the autumn stage of the European Nations Cup. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has officially published the schedule for the 2027 World Championship in the Top Division β€” the elite level of world hockey. Alongside the strongest national teams on the planet, the Ukrainian national team has also received its calendar, marking its first appearance at this level in two decades. For the "blue and yellow" side, this is a historic return to the company of the world's 16 strongest teams after many years competing in divisions below the elite. As [Sport RBC.UA reports, citing the official IIHF website](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/zbirna-ukrayini-hokeyu-diznalasya-rozklad-1788791890.html), Ukraine earned its Top Division spot following a successful run in Division 1A at the 2026 World Championship, where the team finished second and clinched the long-awaited promotion. It was precisely this achievement that allowed the Ukrainian national team to once again make it into the list of the planet's 16 strongest national teams. ### Group A and the Roster of Opponents The 2027 World Championship will be hosted by Germany, and at the group stage the Ukrainian team will compete in Group A. Ukraine's opponents in the round-robin phase will be the tournament hosts β€” Germany β€” as well as Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Austria, and Slovenia. This makes for a tight and competitive group, in which every game at the group stage will matter for the team's further fate in the tournament. ### Tournament Format and the Stakes In the round-robin phase, each team will play seven matches. At the end of the group stage, the four best teams will advance to the quarterfinals of the playoffs, where the fight for medals and top placements will begin. Meanwhile, the team that finishes last in its group will be relegated and return to the division below. Thus, for Ukraine the minimum goal is to stay in the elite and avoid the bottom of the group standings, while the ambitious target is to reach the quarterfinals. ### Change in the Coaching Staff Against the backdrop of the historic return to the elite division, the Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation decided on radical changes in the leadership of the national team. The organization chose not to continue its collaboration with Dmytro Khrystych's coaching staff and entrusted the head coach position to Oleksiy Bobkin. This personnel decision became part of the preparation for the new season and an attempt to strengthen the team ahead of its appearance at the highest level. ### The Road to the World Championship Ukrainian hockey players will prepare for the world championship through participation in three stages of the European Nations Cup, which will take place in November, December, and February. It is the autumn tournament that will mark Oleksiy Bobkin's official debut at the helm of the national team, so fans will be able to assess the first practical results of the new staff's work as early as November. The return to the elite, for the first time since 2007, turns the upcoming season into one of the most significant in the modern history of Ukrainian hockey. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Ukrainian national hockey team learns its match schedule in the 2027 World Championship elite](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/zbirna-ukrayini-hokeyu-diznalasya-rozklad-1788791890.html) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ ΠΏΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΠΊΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΡŽ IIHF расписания ЧМ-2027, Π³Ρ€ΡƒΠΏΠΏΡƒ А, состав сопСрников, Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΠ°Ρ‚ (7 ΠΌΠ°Ρ‚Ρ‡Π΅ΠΉ, Ρ‚ΠΎΠΏ-4 Π² 1/4, послСднСС мСсто β€” ΠΏΠΎΠ½ΠΈΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅), Π²ΠΎΠ·Π²Ρ€Π°Ρ‰Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Π² элиту с 2007 Π³ΠΎΠ΄Π°, смСну Ρ‚Ρ€Π΅Π½Π΅Ρ€Π° Π½Π° АлСксСя Π‘ΠΎΠ±ΠΊΠΈΠ½Π° ΠΈ ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Π³ΠΎΡ‚ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΡƒ Ρ‡Π΅Ρ€Π΅Π· Ρ‚Ρ€ΠΈ этапа ΠšΡƒΠ±ΠΊΠ° Π½Π°Ρ†ΠΈΠΉ (Π½ΠΎΡΠ±Ρ€ΡŒ, Π΄Π΅ΠΊΠ°Π±Ρ€ΡŒ, Ρ„Π΅Π²Ρ€Π°Π»ΡŒ). - [The schedule of the Ukrainian national team's matches at the 2027 World Hockey Championship in the elite division has been revealed](https://tsn.ua/ru/prosport/stalo-izvestno-raspisanie-matchey-sbornoy-ukrainy-na-chm-2027-po-hokkeyu-v-elitnom-divizione-3163835.html) - НСзависимоС ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚Π° ΠΏΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΠΊΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ расписания ΠΈ возвращСния Π£ΠΊΡ€Π°ΠΈΠ½Ρ‹ Π² элитный Π΄ΠΈΠ²ΠΈΠ·ΠΈΠΎΠ½; Π΄Π°Π½Π½Ρ‹Π΅ ΡΠΎΠ²ΠΏΠ°Π΄Π°ΡŽΡ‚ с вСрсиСй sport.rbc.ua, ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΠΉ Π½Π΅ выявлСно. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: When will Ukraine return to the elite of the World Hockey Championship for the first time? **A:** Ukraine will play in the Top Division at the 2027 World Championship, which will be hosted by Germany. This will be its first appearance in the elite since 2007. ### Q: Who are Ukraine's opponents at the group stage of the 2027 World Championship? **A:** The Ukrainian national team will compete in Group A alongside Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Austria, and Slovenia. ### Q: How is the tournament format structured, and what is needed to stay in the elite? **A:** In the round-robin phase, each team plays seven matches. The four best teams advance to the quarterfinals, while the team finishing last in its group is relegated. ### Q: Who is the new head coach of the Ukrainian national hockey team? **A:** After parting ways with Dmytro Khrystych's staff, the Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation appointed Oleksiy Bobkin as head coach, with his official debut set for the autumn stage of the European Nations Cup.