photo: © IIHF / Andrew MacKay
Georgia was crowned champions of the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship, Division II Group B in Dunedin, New Zealand.
With their win, Georgia is now promoted up to Division II, Group A. Their record was 4-1-0-0.
At last year’s event, Georgia placed third.
Georgia capped off the tournament with a dominant performance in a 15-1 thrashing of Thailand. Danil Davydov scored 4 goals in the game while Arterm Kozyulin had 3 goals and assists to power the team to victory.
In arguably the most thrilling game of the tournament, Georgia needed overtime to edge Bulgaria 8-7. Boris Kochkin was the hero as he blasted the puck past goaltender Andrea Karabadjakov at 3:52 of the extra frame to seal the win for Georgia.
Georgia had 5 of the top 10 scorers of the tournament. Makar Nikishanin racked up 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points to lead the Georgian scorers. Timur Besharov and Davydov had 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points. Nikita Bukiya amassed 5 goals and 4 assists for 9 points while Konstantin Gavrilenko was the top scoring defender with 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points.
Ivan Starostin was solid in net for Georgia. In 5 games, the goaltender only allowed 3 goals against, had a 93.94 save percentage and 1.50 goals against average. Starosin earned two shutouts – the only ones of the tournament.
Iceland earned silver at the tournament with a 4-0-0-1 mark. The team was squeezed out a 2-1 win over Chinese Taipei earlier in the week as Viggo Hlynsson scored the eventual game-winner 3:30 into the third period.
Unnar Runarsson led the team in scoring with 6 goals and 4 assists for 10 points, including 2 goals in the team’s 5-1 win over New Zealand on the final day of the tournament. The forward also had a 2 goal and 2 assist performance against Bulgaria earlier in the week.
Johann Leifsson had 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points while Hlynsson racked up 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points for Iceland.
New Zealand claimed bronze with a 3-0-0-2 record, despite a 5-1 loss on the final day of competition against Iceland. In 2024, the team claimed silver at the tournament.
Goaltender Csaba Kercso-Magos had the top save percentage in the tournament (94.92) and also had an 1.50 goals against average.
Colin MacIntosh was the team’s leading scorer with 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points. The forward racked up a goal and three assists in the team’s victory over Thailand.
Bulgaria ended up fourth with a 1-1-1-2 record. This was the same placement the team finished in 2024.
Daniel Dilkov was the top scorer of the tournament with a goal and 13 assists for 14 points. In their 8-7 loss to champions Georgia, Dilkov racked up 4 assists in the game.
On the final day of competition, the team pulled out a 5-4 victory over Chinese Taipei. Ivan Hodulov was the hero in overtime, scoring halfway through the extra frame to lift Bulgaria to the win. Dilkov had a pair of assists in the game.
In fifth place was Chinese Taipei with a 1-0-1-3 mark. This is the same placement as the 2024 tournament.
Yi-Kuan Lin scored 5 goals to lead the team in scoring, including a two-goal performance in the team’s final day loss against Bulgaria.
Po-Yu Hsaio turned in an impressive performance in net with 93.51 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average.
Rounding out the teams is Thailand, who went winless during the week. The team had a couple of bright spots. Ken Edvin Kindborn was the team’s top point getter with 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points. The forward racked up a pair of goals and an assist in the team’s loss against Chinese Taipei.
Goaltender Benjamin David Kleineschay was busy during the week. Kleineschay faced 185 shots on net and saved 162. In the team’s final game of the tournament, Pattarapol Ungkulpattanasuk faced 66 shots on goal from Georgia.
With their win, Georgia is now promoted up to Division II, Group A. Their record was 4-1-0-0.
At last year’s event, Georgia placed third.
Georgia capped off the tournament with a dominant performance in a 15-1 thrashing of Thailand. Danil Davydov scored 4 goals in the game while Arterm Kozyulin had 3 goals and assists to power the team to victory.
In arguably the most thrilling game of the tournament, Georgia needed overtime to edge Bulgaria 8-7. Boris Kochkin was the hero as he blasted the puck past goaltender Andrea Karabadjakov at 3:52 of the extra frame to seal the win for Georgia.
Georgia had 5 of the top 10 scorers of the tournament. Makar Nikishanin racked up 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points to lead the Georgian scorers. Timur Besharov and Davydov had 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points. Nikita Bukiya amassed 5 goals and 4 assists for 9 points while Konstantin Gavrilenko was the top scoring defender with 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points.
Ivan Starostin was solid in net for Georgia. In 5 games, the goaltender only allowed 3 goals against, had a 93.94 save percentage and 1.50 goals against average. Starosin earned two shutouts – the only ones of the tournament.
Iceland earned silver at the tournament with a 4-0-0-1 mark. The team was squeezed out a 2-1 win over Chinese Taipei earlier in the week as Viggo Hlynsson scored the eventual game-winner 3:30 into the third period.
Unnar Runarsson led the team in scoring with 6 goals and 4 assists for 10 points, including 2 goals in the team’s 5-1 win over New Zealand on the final day of the tournament. The forward also had a 2 goal and 2 assist performance against Bulgaria earlier in the week.
Johann Leifsson had 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points while Hlynsson racked up 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points for Iceland.
New Zealand claimed bronze with a 3-0-0-2 record, despite a 5-1 loss on the final day of competition against Iceland. In 2024, the team claimed silver at the tournament.
Goaltender Csaba Kercso-Magos had the top save percentage in the tournament (94.92) and also had an 1.50 goals against average.
Colin MacIntosh was the team’s leading scorer with 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points. The forward racked up a goal and three assists in the team’s victory over Thailand.
Bulgaria ended up fourth with a 1-1-1-2 record. This was the same placement the team finished in 2024.
Daniel Dilkov was the top scorer of the tournament with a goal and 13 assists for 14 points. In their 8-7 loss to champions Georgia, Dilkov racked up 4 assists in the game.
On the final day of competition, the team pulled out a 5-4 victory over Chinese Taipei. Ivan Hodulov was the hero in overtime, scoring halfway through the extra frame to lift Bulgaria to the win. Dilkov had a pair of assists in the game.
In fifth place was Chinese Taipei with a 1-0-1-3 mark. This is the same placement as the 2024 tournament.
Yi-Kuan Lin scored 5 goals to lead the team in scoring, including a two-goal performance in the team’s final day loss against Bulgaria.
Po-Yu Hsaio turned in an impressive performance in net with 93.51 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average.
Rounding out the teams is Thailand, who went winless during the week. The team had a couple of bright spots. Ken Edvin Kindborn was the team’s top point getter with 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points. The forward racked up a pair of goals and an assist in the team’s loss against Chinese Taipei.
Goaltender Benjamin David Kleineschay was busy during the week. Kleineschay faced 185 shots on net and saved 162. In the team’s final game of the tournament, Pattarapol Ungkulpattanasuk faced 66 shots on goal from Georgia.