After 15 years, Armenian hockey is back on the ice

When it comes to team sports, Armenia has had its highs and lows (mainly lows). Recently, a new team sport returned to the mix and has already provoked its fair share of emotions. The Armenian national hockey team is back on the ice for the first time in nearly 15 years. The country was granted hosting duties for the 2025 IIHF World Championship Division IV, and with it, a return to play. Back in 2010, Armenia was investigated by International Ice Hockey Federation officials following that year’s IIHF World Championship Division III. The country had already been under fire by the federation, serving a two-year suspension in 2008 after its delegation refused to show passports to IIHF officials. The IIHF concluded that Armenia used ineligible players in 2010 and suspended the nation indefinitely. Now, 15 years after the controversy, Armenia will return with a fresh slate. The 2025 IIHF World Championship opened in Yerevan on April 13 with a brand new team on deck. There was much excitement and intrigue ahead of the game. Fans filled Yerevan’s Ice Skating and Hockey School Arena for Armenia’s debut match against Malaysia, ranked 55th in the world (out of 58 teams). Last names like Sagatelian, Kovalenko and Putulian sewn on the backs of jerseys would soon be part of history. Armenia won not by one, two or three goals. How about winning by 21 goals? Armenia clobbered Malaysia 24-3, which catapulted the hosts into first place among Uzbekistan, Iran, Indonesia, Kuwait and Malaysia. Artyom Kuznetsov netted six goals, Tigran Manukyan scored five and Valentin Kovalenko added four. This was an amazing win. Armenia has been behind in the world of team sports for so long that fans forgot what it feels like to succeed. Having a +21 goal differential was also a confidence boost heading into match two against Uzbekistan—the tournament favorite. One day after Armenia’s first win, the challenging Uzbeks were up for the fight. A back and forth battle between the two stout teams was not settled in regulation. Heck, it wasn’t even settled in an overtime period. This game was decided in a shootout after ending 2-2. It’s important to recognize Armenia’s goalkeeper Artem Putulian, who recorded 57 saves and was instrumental to Armenia making it this far in the game. Each team had five opportunities to score, and Uzbekistan couldn’t score one. Armenia cashed in on goals during its second and fourth penalties to secure yet another famous victory—leading to a timeless interview with Seyran Saghatelyan on Armenian Sports News. There was an outpouring of raw emotions from the crowd, players and coaches. Everyone had reason to celebrate: with a 20+ goal win followed by arguably the nation’s biggest sports victory yet, who wouldn’t? Still, when you come off a massive adrenaline high in sports, it’s imperative to do what you can to conserve energy. “In such a short-term tournament like [the] world championships, you don’t have any time to celebrate or even think about the game. You have to readjust right away,” said Armenia hockey head coach Vadim Guskov. In an April 16 match against Kuwait, Armenia fell to a 0-4 deficit in the second period, conceding two goals in each of the opening two periods. The game seemed out of reach for the Skatin’ Hyes (let’s see if that name sticks), but unlike this sentence, the Armenians got serious. Four unanswered goals from Hayastan forced an already bonkers game into overtime. Momentum completely shifted in favor of home ice, and one goal was all that was needed to win the game in the added period. However, Kuwait prevailed in overtime 4-5, handing Armenia its only loss. This result was crushing—from celebrations to a loss that could have been the difference between promotion and mediocrity. At this juncture, Armenia had to win out and hope Uzbekistan lost one of its final games against Indonesia or Malaysia—teams routinely blown out in the tournament. Armenia’s final two matches were against neighboring Iran and Indonesia. The athletes did what they had to, securing an 8-0 shutout win against the Persians and 14-1 against the Indonesians. But Armenia’s fate was not in their hands. Uzbekistan crushed Indonesia 26-1 and Malaysia 18-3. In its debut at the 2025 IIHF World Championships, Uzbekistan finished first and earned promotion into Division III. Armenia was the runner-up, finishing second without a promotion to show for it. Following the tournament, Guskov got candid with Armenian Sports News, stating that in order for Armenia hockey to succeed and grow, support from the Armenian government is a must. According to the coach, Armenia currently has two ice rinks that are mainly occupied by figure skaters, meaning the hockey team often practiced near midnight. Armenia was fighting against a myriad of negative factors yet finished second—an accomplishment worth commending and building off of. “We have to get gold and start climbing the divisions,” Guskov said.

After 15 years, Armenian hockey is back on the ice

This story is FREE for you...

Jason Takhtadjian

This story is FREE for you...

Jason Takhtadjian

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