---
title: "Hockey triumph and coaching crisis: Ukraine left without a staff after promotion to the elite"
description: "The historic promotion of the Ukrainian national team to the elite World Hockey Championship division was overshadowed by a scandal: the team is left without a coach. Dmytro Khristych and Oleg Shafarenko cannot agree with the HFU on money. The Federation demands a playoff spot on the first try or is ready to replace the staff with U-18 coaches 🏒🇺🇦📉"
date: 2026-07-05T13:28:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-hockey-coaching-crisis-khristych-shafarenko
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Hockey triumph and coaching crisis: Ukraine left without a staff after promotion to the elite

![Head coach of the Ukrainian national hockey team and players on the bench during a match](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/05/ukraina-hokkey-konflikt-trenery-hristich-shafarenko/ukraina-hokkey-konflikt-trenery-hristich-shafarenko-1.webp)

A historic event in Ukrainian hockey, which fans had been waiting for two decades, has been overshadowed by a serious internal crisis. The Ukrainian national team has officially qualified for the elite division of the World Championship, but against this backdrop, the national team is effectively left without a head coach and his assistant.

As reported by RBK-Ukraine citing "Suspilne Sport," the contracts with the coaches who ensured this breakthrough for the team have expired, and the process of extending the cooperation has reached a deadlock.

### Financial deadlock and ambitious demands

Head coach Dmytro Khristych and his assistant Oleg Shafarenko, whose work at the end of the 2026 World Championship led the team to the top, faced a tough stance from the leadership. After the loud success, the coaching staff made a request to improve financial conditions, which seemed like a logical step after achieving such an important goal.

However, the Hockey Federation of Ukraine (HFU) responded not with a salary increase, but by setting a practically unrealistic condition for contract renewal. The leadership set a task for the specialists: to reach the playoffs of the elite division at the very first tournament — the 2027 World Championship.

### Confirmation of conflict and "Plan B"

The HFU Sporting Director, Yury Kirichenko, officially confirmed that agreements with the coaches have not yet been re-signed, and negotiations are dragging on. Moreover, the official openly stated the existence of an alternative scenario.

The federation already has a "Plan B." If an agreement cannot be reached with the Khristych — Shafarenko duo, they will be replaced by Alexander Bobkin and Ruslan Borysenko. Currently, these specialists are working with the Ukrainian U-18 youth national team.

Thus, against the backdrop of the historic achievement of Ukrainian hockey, a personnel crisis is brewing that could radically change the future of the national team in the elite of world sports.