Belarus men's national junior ice hockey team

The Belarusian men's national under-20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Belarus. The team represented Belarus at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship. Prior to independence in 1991, Belarusian players played for the Soviet Union, which played in the World Juniors from its inception in 1974. Belarus has played in the top division eight times, first in 1999 and most recently in 2018, with their best finish being ninth overall in both 2001 and 2002.

Belarus
Shirt badge/Association crest
The coat of Arms of Belarus is the badge used on the players jerseys
AssociationBelarus Ice Hockey Federation
Head coachBelarus Pavel Perepekhin
AssistantsBelarus Andrei Kudin
Belarus Andrei Zalivako
CaptainArtur Gavrus
Most pointsAndrei Kostitsyn (21)
IIHF codeBLR
First international
 Kazakhstan 4 - 0 Belarus 
(Minsk, Belarus; November 10, 1992)
Biggest win
 Belarus 19 - 0 Lithuania 
(Minsk, Belarus; November 12, 1992)
Biggest defeat
 Russia 12 - 1 Belarus 
(Podolsk, Russia; December 27, 2000)
IIHF World U20 Championship
Appearances28 (first in 1993)
Best result9th (2001, 2002)
International record (W–L–T)
50–47–6

Due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Ice Hockey Federation banned all Belarusian national and club teams from its events indefinitely, and Hockey Canada banned Belarus's “participation in events held in Canada that do not fall under the IIHF’s jurisdiction.”[1][2][3]

History

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Belarus became an independent nation in 1991, and the team made their first appearance at the World Junior Hockey Championships in 1998, when Belarus won Pool B (now Division I). The U20 team played at the 1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Winnipeg, but the Belarusians never won a game. Belarus finished 10th and were relegated to Pool B for 2000. The team returned to the top level by defeating Germany in the final. The Belarusians avoided relegation by winning and tying a game against the Kazakhs.

Belarus competed in the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships, until finally being relegated under the new IIHF format. Belarus returned to the top division in 2005, but were relegated again. Belarus has mainly been in the second-tier Division I level since then, though have been promoted to the top division on occasion, most recently in 2018.

World Junior Championship record

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Year Rank
1974–1992 As part of   Soviet Union
  1993 3rd in Minsk Group (Pool C)
  1994 26th (Pool C)
  1995 20th (Pool C1)
  1996 22nd (Pool C)
  1997 1st, Promoted to Pool B
  1998 1st, Promoted to Top Division
  1999 10th place (Relegated to Pool B)
  2000 1st, Promoted to Top Division
  2001 9th place
  2002 9th place
  2003 10th place (Relegated to Division I)
  2004 1st, Promoted to Top Division
  2005 10th place (Relegated to Division I)
  2006 1st, Promoted to Top Division
  2007 13th place (Relegated to Division I)
  2008 13th place (Division I)
  2009 13th place (Division I)
  2010 14th place (Division I)
  2011 13th place (Division I)
  2012 12th place (Division I)
  2013 12th place (Division I)
  2014 13th place (Division I)
  2015 1st, Promoted to Top Division
  2016 10th place (Relegated to Division I)
  2017 1st, Promoted to Top Division
  2018 10th place (Relegated to Division I)
  2019 12th place (Division I)
  2020 13th place (Division I)
  2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  2022 1st, Promoted to Top Division (expelled)
  2023 Expelled
  2024 Expelled

References

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  1. ^ "IIHF suspends Russia and Belarus from international play amid Ukraine invasion - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca.
  2. ^ "Ice Hockey Federation bans Russia and Belarus from all competition, strips Russia of 2023 World Juniors". infobae.
  3. ^ "Russia, Belarus Suspended From International Soccer, Hockey Over Ukraine Attacks". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty.
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