--- title: "The New Coach's First Choice: Ukraine National Ice Hockey Team Roster for European Nations Cup" description: "New Ukraine national ice hockey team head coach Oleksandr Bobkin has named 25 players for the first stage of the European Nations Cup. In November, the team will face Poland, Italy, and Great Britain." date: 2026-10-28T09:19:44.029Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-hockey-team-roster-european-nations-cup tags: [ukraine-hockey, european-nations-cup, world-championship-2027, national-team, bobkin] author: "Dmitriy Shatolov, Inna Kinsheva" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # The New Coach's First Choice: Ukraine National Ice Hockey Team Roster for European Nations Cup ![Two Ukrainian ice hockey players in blue-and-yellow uniforms on the ice during a match](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/28/sbornaya-ukrainy-hokkey-zayavka-evropeyskiy-kubok-natsii/sbornaya-ukrainy-hokkey-zayavka-evropeyskiy-kubok-natsii-1.webp) ## Key Points - New Ukraine ice hockey head coach Oleksandr Bobkin called up 25 players for the first stage of the European Nations Cup. - The roster includes 3 goaltenders, 9 defensemen, and 13 forwards. - In November, the national team will play against Poland, Italy, and Great Britain; the first match is against Poland on November 5 at 21:00 Kyiv time. - The tournament will serve as a preparation stage for the 2027 World Championship. The Ukraine national ice hockey team has determined its roster for the first stage of the European Nations Cup, a tournament that will serve as one of the key preparation stages for the 2027 World Championship. New head coach Oleksandr Bobkin, who took charge of the «blue-and-yellows» in early August, has named 25 hockey players to begin pre-match training. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA citing the official website of the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine. ### Coaching Debut and Roster Structure For Oleksandr Bobkin, this tournament will be the first serious test of his player selection approaches since his appointment as head coach. The roster is formed according to the classic structure for international national teams: it includes three goaltenders, nine defensemen, and 13 forwards. Such a balance of attack and defense allows the coaching staff to test various combinations in game shifts and assess players' readiness for the loads of the upcoming cycle. ### Calendar and Opponents In November, the Ukraine national team will play three matches as part of the first stage of the European Nations Cup, facing the national teams of Poland, Italy, and Great Britain. The team will play its opening tournament match against Poland: the game is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, starting at 21:00 Kyiv time. According to Sport RBC.UA and Sport.ua, the series of games will run from November 5 to 7, during which the Ukrainians will consecutively play against three opponents. ### Preparation for the 2027 World Championship The European Nations Cup for the national team of Ukraine is not an independent goal, but part of systematic preparation for the 2027 World Championship. It is at this stage that the coaching staff will be able to assess player fitness in real-world conditions, work out tactical schemes, and form an understanding of the core to rely on in the future. For a team working under a new coach, such control matches against opponents of a comparable level are an important benchmark before the start of qualifying and final cycles. ### Context: The Team's New Cycle Oleksandr Bobkin's appointment as head coach took place in early August, and the European Nations Cup has become the first major tournament in his work with the national team. Visually, the team performs in traditional blue-and-yellow uniforms with the IIHF logo on the sleeve, which complies with the regulations of international competitions under the auspices of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Thus, the first stage of the Nations Cup fulfills two tasks at once: a sporting one — in the form of practice in official matches, and an organizational one — in the form of consolidating the new coaching course for the entire cycle of preparation for the world championship. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Первый выбор нового тренера: заявка сборной Украины по хоккею на Европейский Кубок наций](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/pershiy-vibir-novogo-trenera-zayavka-zbirnoyi-1793178531.html) - Primary source: roster of 25 players (3 goaltenders, 9 defensemen, 13 forwards), opponents Poland/Italy/Great Britain, first match November 5 at 21:00, coach Bobkin, appointment in early August, preparation for 2027 WC. - [Первый выбор нового тренера. Заявка сборной Украины по хоккею](https://sport.ua/news/919591-perviy-vybor-novogo-trenera-zayavka-sbornoy-ukrainy-po-hokkeyu) - Confirms Bobkin's roster for three matches of the Nations Cup and the dates November 5–7 against Poland, Great Britain, and Italy. ## FAQ ### How many players did the new Ukraine coach call up? Oleksandr Bobkin called up 25 hockey players: three goaltenders, nine defensemen, and 13 forwards. ### Who will the Ukraine national team play against in November? The national team will meet Poland, Italy, and Great Britain as part of the first stage of the European Nations Cup. ### When does the tournament start? The first match is against Poland on November 5, starting at 21:00 Kyiv time; the series of games will run from November 5 to 7. ### Why does the team need this tournament? The European Nations Cup will serve as one of the preparation stages for the Ukraine national team ahead of the 2027 World Championship.