Mongolia men's national ice hockey team

Lore & Background

Mongolia made its debut at the 1999 Asian Winter Games. The national team did not participate in any IIHF tournaments until the 2007 IIHF World Championship Division III tournament in Ireland, where they played four games, losing all four by a combined margin of three goals for to 45 goals against. In 2008, they played in the IIHF World Championship Division III tournament in Luxembourg, again losing all games with a goal margin of 11 for and 59 against in five games. In the 2009 tournament, they chose to forfeit the games and withdrew; all games were marked as 5–0 forfeits. In 2010, the team was placed in group B of Division III. They lost to North Korea (22–1), South Africa (12–1), and Armenia (15–0), then finished with a 3rd place rematch against South Africa, losing 8–3. Mongolia finished the tournament with its first-ever podium position, third overall in the group, after Armenia was suspended by the IIHF. Many players also represent the Mongolia national bandy team.

Reader's Guide

The Mongolia national ice hockey team's significance lies in its persistence as a lower-tier hockey nation in Asia, despite repeated heavy losses and financial struggles. The team's early IIHF appearances from 2007 to 2010 were marked by lopsided defeats, yet they achieved a notable third-place finish in the 2010 Division III group B after Armenia's suspension. The Mongolian Hockey Federation withdrew the men's and U18 teams from the 2011 IIHF tournaments due to financial trouble and lack of equipment, and had previously withdrawn from the 2009 Division III tournament. After a decade-long absence from the World Championship program following 2013, the team returned in 2023 and now plays in Division IIIB. Their current IIHF World Ranking is 53rd, and they are ranked 19th in the specialized Asian ranking. The team's history reflects the challenges faced by emerging hockey nations in maintaining participation in international competition.

Did You Know?

• Mongolia became an IIHF member on 15 May 1999.
• The team's first IIHF tournament was the 2007 World Championship Division III in Ireland, where they lost all four games with a combined goal margin of 3 for and 45 against.
• Mongolia withdrew from the 2009 and 2011 IIHF tournaments due to financial trouble and lack of ice hockey equipment.
• Many players on the ice hockey team also represent the Mongolia national bandy team.

The Rollercoaster of World Championship Play

Israel's journey through the IIHF World Championship structure has been one of remarkable ups and downs. The team's single greatest milestone came in 2005 when they captured their Division II group and earned promotion to Division I — a first and, to date, only appearance at that level. The euphoria was short-lived, as relegation followed just a year later. Things deteriorated further when Israel dropped to Division III in 2010, a low point in the program's history. Yet the squad responded with extraordinary force in 2011, sweeping all five opponents in Division III Group B by a combined margin of 57 goals to 9, securing their return to Division II. They held their ground in 2012 in Bulgaria, and the program continued climbing. The crowning achievement arrived in 2019 in Mexico City, where Israel claimed the gold medal in Division II Group B — the nation's first-ever gold in ice hockey — and earned a berth in the higher Division 2A. As of mid-2025, the IIHF placed Israel at 31st in the world, while the specialized site AsianIceHockey.com ranked them eighth.

Eliezer Sherbatov: A One-of-a-Kind Story

Few athletes in Israeli sport have generated as much early buzz as Eliezer Sherbatov. At just 13 years old, he stepped onto the ice at the 2005 IIHF World U18 Championship Division III in Bulgaria, making him the youngest player ever to compete in an under-18 world championship. In that tournament he tallied nine points across five games and helped the squad take home a bronze medal — Israel's first-ever medal in a hockey championship event. His individual brilliance only grew with time. In the 2011 Division III Group B tournament, he dominated every statistical category, recording 26 points from 14 goals and 12 assists in just four games, and was named the tournament's best forward. He went on to captain the national team from 2015 through 2020. At the 2019 gold-medal tournament in Mexico City, he again led the scoring with 15 points from 7 goals and 8 assists in five games, earned the best forward honor, and posted the top plus-minus rating. He also holds the distinction of being the first Israeli to play in the KHL.

Four Olympic Dreams, Four Near Misses

Israel has attempted Olympic qualification on four occasions, and each attempt has ended in heartbreak. The first try came in 1996 for the 1998 Winter Games. In a preliminary match in Metula, Israel fell 10-2 to Greece, but that result was voided because Greece fielded ineligible players. A replacement match against Yugoslavia in Kaunas saw Israel lose 5-3, yet the team was still disqualified over the use of ineligible Russian players, and both forfeited scores were officially recorded as 5-0. The second attempt in 2012 for the 2014 Games saw Israel enter as the lowest-ranked qualifier at 40th place. In a round-robin group in Zagreb alongside Croatia, Serbia, and Mexico, the team lost every single game. In 2015, targeting the 2018 Olympics, Israel was placed in the first preliminary round in Tallinn. They defeated Bulgaria but lost to both Estonia and Mexico, falling short of the second round. The most recent push in 2019 for the 2022 Games marked progress: for the first time, Israel's ranking allowed them to skip the initial round. In Brașov, they beat Kyrgyzstan in overtime but lost to Romania and Iceland, ending the run once again.

A Roster of Notable Names

Beyond the team's tournament results, the Israel national ice hockey program has produced and attracted a remarkable collection of players whose careers extend well beyond the national jersey. Maxim Birbraer stands out as the only Israeli ever drafted by an NHL franchise. The Eizenman brothers each carved distinct paths: Alon earned induction into the ACHA Hall of Fame, while Oren spent four seasons in the American Hockey League. David Levin captured the OHL's Jack Ferguson Award during his junior career, and Nikita Lukin lifted the KHL's Gagarin Cup with his club in 2013. Eliezer Sherbatov, already discussed for his international exploits, also holds the distinction of being the first Israeli to suit up in the KHL. The program continues to evolve, with a roster already assembled for the 2026 IIHF World Championship, signaling that the team's ambitions remain firmly pointed upward. The depth of talent across these players — spanning North American junior leagues, the AHL, the KHL, and the NHL draft — underscores how far Israeli ice hockey has traveled from its modest early days.