Day: November 23, 2025

2026 IIHF Ice Hockey Asia Championship took place from November 20 to November 23, 2025. It was the second edition of this annual event, created to provide high-level competition for Asia’s top ice hockey nations during the international break.

Tournament Overview

• Champion: 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan (2nd consecutive title)

• Runner-up: 🇰🇷 South Korea

• Third Place: 🇯🇵 Japan

• Host City: Beijing, China (Ice Sports Training Base)

Kazakhstan Wins 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey Asia Championship

Final Standings

Kazakhstan dominated the round-robin format, winning all three of their games in regulation time. South Korea secured the silver medal thanks to a crucial upset victory over Japan.

Kazakhstan dominated the round-robin format, winning all three of their games in regulation time. South Korea secured the silver medal thanks to a crucial upset victory over Japan.

Key Storylines & Highlights

1. Kazakhstan Defends Title

Ranked 13th in the world, Kazakhstan entered as the clear favorite and delivered. Led by tournament scoring leader Maxim Musorov (7 points) and veteran captain Roman Starchenko, they swept the field.¹ Their toughest test came in the final game against Japan, where they edged out a 4–3 victory to secure the gold.¹¹

2. South Korea Upsets Japan

The decisive match for the silver medal occurred on Day 2. In a tight defensive battle, South Korea defeated Japan 1–0. Japan outshot Korea 38–32, but Korean goaltender Lee Yeon-Seung  shut the door, allowing Korea to leapfrog Japan in the standings.

3. China’s Home Struggles

Despite playing on home ice in Beijing, Team China finished fourth without a win. They struggled to generate offense, managing only two goals across three games. Their closest contest was the opener against Japan, which remained competitive early on before Japan pulled away for a 4–1 win.

Key Players & Statistics 

Tournament Awards (Directorate)

The following players were selected by the tournament directorate as the best in their respective positions:

• 🏆 Best Goalkeeper: 🇰🇿 Roman Kalmykov (Kazakhstan)

  • Key Stat: Anchored the gold medal team with 3 wins and a tournament-best save percentage.

• 🛡️ Best Defender: 🇰🇿 Ivan Stepanenko (Kazakhstan)

  • Key Stat: Scored a hat trick (3 goals) in the opening game against South Korea.

• 🏒 Best Forward: 🇯🇵 Teruto Nakajima (Japan)

  • Key Stat: Captained Japan and finished as the tournament’s 5th highest scorer (4 points).

2026 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s Asia Championship was held in Oskemen, Kazakhstan, the tournament saw Japan successfully defend their title, dominating the competition with a perfect record and zero goals allowed.

Japan Women Champions of Asia

Tournament Recap

The tournament followed a round-robin format where each of the four teams (Japan, China, Kazakhstan, South Korea) played every other team once.

Japan’s Dominance

Japan, the highest-ranked team in the tournament (and already qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics), was in a league of its own. They achieved a “perfect” tournament by winning all three games via shutout.

• vs. Kazakhstan: Won 6–0

• vs. South Korea: Won 7–0

• vs. China: Won 4–0 (Gold Medal clincher)

The Fight for Silver

China secured the silver medal largely due to a critical opening victory against South Korea and a dominant win over the hosts.

• vs. South Korea: China narrowly edged out Korea 3–2 in a shootout.

• vs. Kazakhstan: They defeated the hosts decisively 6–0.

• vs. Japan: They held their ground better than the other teams but ultimately fell 0–4.

3. Host Nation Takes Bronze

The host nation, Kazakhstan, secured the bronze medal in a tightly contested final game against South Korea.

• Going into the final day, the matchup between Kazakhstan and Korea effectively decided the bronze medal.

• Kazakhstan defeated South Korea (score approx. 3–1 based on standings differential) to secure 3rd place on home ice.

Key Players & Stats

• MVP / Top Scorer: Rui Ukita (Japan) was the standout forward, leading the tournament in scoring.

• Standout Forwards: Japan’s Rio Noro and Haruka Toko were instrumental in the offense, contributing multiple goals and assists.

• Goaltending: Japan’s goaltending tandem (including Miyuu Masuhara) was flawless, not allowing a single goal throughout the entire event.