Kazakhstan national ice hockey team. Photo: IIHF
The Kazakhstan men's national ice hockey team clinched its third consecutive Asian championship, which concluded on November 8 in Jeonju, South Korea. In the tournament's final match, head coach Talgat Zhailauov's squad defeated the hosts in a shootout.
Regulation and overtime against South Korea ended scoreless at 0-0 before the Kazakhs prevailed 4-3 in the shootout. Dias Guseinov scored the shootout winner, while Artur Gross and Evgeny Rymarev—who converted twice—also scored on their attempts. Goaltender Vladislav Nurek kept a clean sheet through 65 minutes of regulation and overtime.
Earlier in the competition, Kazakhstan defeated Japan 3-2 and swept past China 5-0. With three wins in three games, the team collected eight points to finish atop the table. Japan earned silver medals with six points, while South Korea claimed bronze with four points. China finished the tournament without registering a point.
Kazakhstan has won all three Asian championships organized under the auspices of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The inaugural tournament was held in Almaty in 2024, followed by Beijing in 2025. The competition currently features four national teams—Kazakhstan, Japan, South Korea, and China—competing in a single round-robin format, with the winner determined by point standings.
In May 2026, the Kazakhstan national team also won the IIHF World Championship Division I, Group A tournament with a perfect five-win record, earning promotion back to the top division for 2027.
