Australia men's national ice hockey team

Lore & Background

The team has participated in just one Winter Olympics: the 1960 Games in Squaw Valley, California, where they lost both games against Czechoslovakia (18–1) and the eventual gold medalists, the United States (12–1). The team had previously tried to attend the 1956 Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, but never received approval from the Australian Olympic Committee. Some Australian national team players are expatriates of Canada and other hockey-playing nations who have since become outright citizens of Australia or hold dual citizenship.

Australia has competed in the Division II World Championships since 2001. In 2007, they were coached by Steve McKenna, a former eight-year veteran of the National Hockey League, and finished second in their group behind host nation South Korea, narrowly missing promotion to Division I. The team hosted the 2008 IIHF World Championship Division II Group B in Newcastle, where they finished first and captured the gold medal by winning all five games, earning promotion to Division I for the first time ever.

Australia previously held the world record for most goals and highest winning margin in an IIHF World Championship game, defeating New Zealand 58–0 in 1987, breaking the record held by Canada (47 goals against Denmark) since 1949. This record was surpassed in 2008 by the Slovak women's team (82 goals against Bulgaria).

Reader's Guide

The Australian men's national ice hockey team holds a modest but distinct place in international hockey history, primarily defined by its single Olympic appearance in 1960 and its world-record 58–0 victory over New Zealand in 1987. The team's Olympic participation, though winless, marks Australia's only foray into Winter Olympic ice hockey, with heavy losses to Czechoslovakia and the United States. The team's World Championships record shows a long history of competition, with a best finish of 13th place (5th in Pool B) in 1962, and a pattern of movement between Division I and Division II, including a promotion to Division I for the first time in 2008 after hosting the tournament in Newcastle. The team's current standing at 35th in the IIHF World Rankings and its relegation from Division I in 2013 reflect ongoing challenges. The world record for margin of victory, though later surpassed, highlights a notable achievement in the team's history. The team's composition includes expatriates from Canada and other hockey nations who have become Australian citizens, reflecting the global nature of the sport.

Did You Know?

• Australia competed in the Winter Olympics only once, in 1960, losing all matches.
• Australia hosted the 2008 IIHF World Championship Division II Group B in Newcastle and won all five games to earn promotion to Division I for the first time.

Divisional Rollercoaster and Historic Gold

Israel's national ice hockey program has experienced a remarkable ride through the IIHF's tiered championship structure. The team's single greatest milestone came in 2005 when they captured their Division II group and earned promotion to Division I — a feat they have never repeated. That brief elevation lasted only one season before they were sent back down. The descent continued when Israel dropped to Division III in 2010, but a dominant 2011 campaign in Group B, where they won all five matches by a combined 57–9 margin, restored them to Division II. They held that position in 2012 in Bulgaria. The crowning moment arrived in 2019 in Mexico City, where Israel claimed the gold medal in Division II Group B, their first-ever gold in the sport. That victory also secured a berth in the higher Division 2A. As of mid-2025, the IIHF ranked Israel 31st globally, while the specialist site AsianIceHockey.com placed them eighth in their August 2025 listing, reflecting steady progress in the program's standing.

Eliezer Sherbatov: A One-Man Revolution

Few athletes have shaped a nation's hockey identity as profoundly as Eliezer Sherbatov. In 2005, at just thirteen years old, he stepped onto the ice at the IIHF World U18 Championship Division III in Bulgaria, becoming the youngest player ever to compete in an under-18 world championship. He tallied nine points across five games as Israel captured bronze — the country's first medal in a hockey championship event. His impact intensified in 2011, when he led the Division III Group B tournament in points, goals, assists, and plus-minus, amassing 26 points in only four games and earning the best-forward honor. From 2015 through 2020, Sherbatov served as team captain. His 2019 Mexico City campaign was perhaps his finest: he was named Best Forward, posted the best plus-minus rating, led in goals, and topped the scoring chart with 15 points in five games, all while Israel claimed their historic gold medal.

The Olympic Dream: Four Attempts, No Berth

Israel has made four separate bids to reach the Winter Olympics, each ending in disappointment. The first came in 1996 for the 1998 Games. A preliminary match in Metula against Greece ended in a 10–2 defeat, but Greece was later found to have used ineligible players. Israel then faced Yugoslavia in Kaunas, losing 5–3, yet was ultimately disqualified as well due to the use of ineligible Russian players; both forfeited results were officially recorded as 5–0. In 2012, ranked 40th — the lowest of all qualifiers — Israel entered a round-robin group in Zagreb alongside Croatia, Serbia, and Mexico, and lost every contest. The 2015 attempt for the 2018 Games saw them in Tallinn, where a win over Bulgaria could not offset losses to Estonia and Mexico. Their most recent push in 2019 for the 2022 Olympics marked a small step forward: for the first time, Israel was ranked high enough to bypass the initial qualifying round. In Brașov, they defeated Kyrgyzstan in overtime but fell to Romania and Iceland, once again falling short.

A Roster of Distinction: Players Who Carried the Banner

Israel's ice hockey heritage is anchored by a small but remarkable group of players who achieved distinction on the world's professional stages. Maxim Birbraer holds the unique distinction of being the only Israeli ever drafted by an NHL franchise. The Eizenman brothers each carved their own 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, recognizing him as the league's top player. Nikita Lukin lifted the KHL's Gagarin Cup with his club in 2013, one of the sport's most coveted team trophies. And Eliezer Sherbatov became the first Israeli to suit up in the Kontinental Hockey League. Together, these athletes represent a community that has consistently produced talent competitive at the highest levels of international hockey, lending credibility and visibility to a program that, as of 2025, sits at 31st in the IIHF's global rankings.