Organizers made a somewhat surprising decision by placing Chinese Taipei and Thailand in Group A alongside the top four teams – Kazakhstan, Japan, South Korea, and China. For both squads, it was an invaluable opportunity to measure themselves against Asia’s elite, even at the cost of heavy defeats.
The six teams in Group A were guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals, with the group stage serving only to determine seeding. The remaining two spots in the final eight were reserved for the winners of Groups B and C – two equally ranked pools composed of lower-tier teams. Find out more about the format and organisational aspects HERE.
China Rose to the Occasion on Home Ice
Games between the top teams delivered plenty of high-quality hockey already in the group stage. Backed by thousands of fans in Harbin, the host nation China elevated its play to an impressive level.
In the opener against South Korea, China led 4–1 and 5–4 before eventually falling 5–6 in overtime. They also lost a tight contest to Japan by a single goal, with Jing Wang coming agonizingly close to an equalizer late in the game.
South Korea Set Sights on Gold, Led by Kim the Elder and His Young Guns
Throughout the group stage, South Korea established itself as a serious contender for the gold, driven by the ageless brilliance of national icon Sang Wook Kim. Flanked by rising stars Chong Min Lee and Sangyeob Kim, the veteran led a team that showed both grit and flair.
After a hard-fought overtime win over China, the Koreans delivered a statement 5–2 victory against Japan in what was arguably their best performance of the tournament. Even their 1–2 loss to Kazakhstan could have gone the other way – Si Hwan Kim squandered a golden chance mere moments before the Kazakhs scored their game-winner.
Kazakhstan Went Unbeaten as Japan Failed to Find Their Rhythm
In contrast, Japan failed to impress – after falling to Korea, they suffered another clear defeat against Kazakhstan. As expected, it was Kazakhstan who topped the group, going undefeated through the preliminary round.
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Group A Results |
||
|---|---|---|
| Game | Result | Date & Time |
| Chinese Taipei vs Japan | 0-15 | 02/04 12:00 |
| Thailand vs Kazakhstan | 0-12 | 02/04 16:00 |
| China vs South Korea | 5-6 OT | 02/04 20:00 |
| Japan vs Thailand | 8-1 | 02/05 12:00 |
| South Korea vs Chinese Taipei | 14-1 | 02/05 16:00 |
| Kazakhstan vs China | 6-1 | 02/05 20:00 |
| Kazakhstan vs Chinese Taipei | 17-0 | 02/07 09:00 |
| Thailand vs China | 0-8 | 02/07 12:30 |
| South Korea vs Japan | 5-2 | 02/07 12:30 |
| Japan vs Kazakhstan | 1-4 | 02/08 12:00 |
| Thailand vs South Korea | 0-10 | 02/08 16:00 |
| China vs Chinese Taipei | 5-0 | 02/08 20:00 |
| Kazakhstan vs South Korea | 2-1 | 02/10 12:00 |
| Chinese Taipei vs Thailand | 3-1 | 02/10 16:00 |
| Japan vs China | 2-1 | 02/10 20:00 |
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Group A Standings |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF:GA | PTS |
| 1 | Kazakhstan | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41-3 | 15 |
| 2 | South Korea | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 36-10 | 11 |
| 3 | Japan | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 28-11 | 9 |
| 4 | China | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20-14 | 7 |
| 5 | Chinese Taipei | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4-52 | 3 |
| 6 | Thailand | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2-41 | 0 |
Kyrgyzstan Survived a Kuwait Scare to Win Group B
While the top-tier Group A grabbed most of the spotlight, action also unfolded in Groups B and C. In Group B, heavily favored Kyrgyzstan – a Division 3A team – was given a major scare by a revamped Kuwait squad boosted by several Russian-born naturalized players.
In a wild, high-scoring showdown, Kyrgyzstan narrowly escaped with a 9–8 overtime win to clinch the group. With Singapore and Bahrain trailing behind, their spot in the quarterfinals was never seriously threatened after that.
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Group B Results |
||
|---|---|---|
| Game | Result | Date & Time |
| Kuwait vs Kyrgyzstan | 8-9 OT | 02/03 09:00 |
| Singapore vs Bahrain | 20-1 | 02/03 13:00 |
| Singapore vs Kuwait | 3-10 | 02/05 09:00 |
| Kyrgyzstan vs Bahrain | 29-0 | 02/05 13:00 |
| Kyrgyzstan vs Singapore | 11-2 | 02/09 17:00 |
| Bahrain vs Kuwait | 0-34 | 02/09 21:00 |
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Group B Standings |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF:GA | PTS |
| 1 | Kyrgyzstan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 49-10 | 8 |
| 2 | Kuwait | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 52-12 | 7 |
| 3 | Singapore | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25-22 | 3 |
| 4 | Bahrain | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1-83 | 0 |
Hong Kong Shocked Turkmenistan as India Marked Triumphant Return
While Group B flirted with an upset, Group C delivered one in full. In a stunning result, Underdog Hong Kong – competing one tier below in Division 3B – stunned Division 3A side Turkmenistan with a commanding 5–1 win in the group decider. The match turned ugly post-game, as four Turkmen players attacked their Hong Kong opponents in frustration, sparking controversy.
India and Macau rounded out the group but stood little chance against the two frontrunners, suffering heavy defeats. However, India carved out a feel-good moment by beating Macau 4–2 in their head-to-head matchup – a heartwarming win in their first international appearance in seven years.
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Group C Results |
||
|---|---|---|
| Game | Result | Date & Time |
| Hong Kong vs Macau | 26-1 | 02/03 21:00 |
| Hong Kong vs India | 30-0 | 02/05 17:00 |
| Turkmenistan vs Macau | 26-0 | 02/05 21:00 |
| India vs Turkmenistan | 1-19 | 02/06 20:30 |
| Turkmenistan vs Hong Kong | 1-5 | 02/09 09:00 |
| Macau vs India | 2-4 | 02/09 13:00 |
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Group C Standings |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF:GA | PTS |
| 1 | Hong Kong | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61-2 | 9 |
| 2 | Turkmenistan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 46-6 | 6 |
| 3 | India | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5-51 | 3 |
| 4 | Macau | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3-56 | 0 |
Groups B and C Teams Battled for Placement Before the Quarterfinals
In a showdown between the bottom-ranked sides, Macau edged Bahrain 4–3 in overtime. In the end, every team found something to smile about – India and Macau each left with a win, while Bahrain, despite heavy losses, earned a symbolic point for the OT defeat.
In the 11th-place game, Singapore overwhelmed India 13–2. Still, just reaching this matchup was an achievement for the Indians, as it meant they hadn’t finished last in their group.
The 9th-place game featured two frustrated squads who narrowly missed the playoffs. Turkmenistan’s nightmare tournament continued, capped off by an 8–4 loss to Kuwait.
In a slightly odd twist, Group B and C winners Hong Kong and Kyrgyzstan were pitted against each other in a seeding battle – the result would decide who’d face Kazakhstan and who’d take on Korea in the quarterfinals. In a game that was essentially a coin toss, Kyrgyzstan pulled off a 6–5 overtime win, effectively “choosing” to play South Korea next.
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Placement Round |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Placement | Result | Date & Time |
| Macau vs Bahrain | 13-14 | 4-3 OT | 02/10 09:00 |
| Singapore vs India | 11-12 | 13-2 | 02/10 13:00 |
| Kuwait vs Turkmenistan | 9-10 | 8-4 | 02/10 17:00 |
| Hong Kong vs Kyrgyzstan | Ranking | 5-6 OT | 02/10 21:00 |
Quarterfinals Followed the Script – with a Few Twists
The much-anticipated playoff round began with quarterfinal action, and for the most part, things went exactly as expected.
Kazakhstan treated their clash with Hong Kong like a high-tempo practice session, cruising to a jaw-dropping 24–0 victory.
South Korea didn’t hold back either, thrashing Kyrgyzstan 20–0 in another display of power. The gulf between Asia’s top four and the rest of the field remains enormous.
Host nation China faced a bit more resistance from Chinese Taipei, eventually winning 7–2 in a game that was much tighter early on – tied 1–1 after the first period and only 3–1 after two. To their credit, Chinese Taipei were one of the tournament’s most pleasant surprises outside the top four. They had also held China to a respectable 0–5 in the group stage and earned a valuable 3–1 win against Thailand – a team from the same weight class.
In the final quarterfinal, Japan had little trouble dispatching Thailand, lighting the lamp in a 15–2 rout.
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Quarterfinals |
||
|---|---|---|
| Game | Result | Date & Time |
| Kazakhstan vs Hong Kong | 24-0 | 02/11 16:00 |
| South Korea vs Kyrgyzstan | 20-0 | 02/11 16:00 |
| China vs Chinese Taipei | 7-2 | 02/11 20:00 |
| Japan vs Thailand | 15-2 | 02/11 20:00 |
The Final Four Was No Surprise – But It Could Have Been
As expected, Asia’s Big Four advanced to the semifinals. But a single moment could have rewritten the playoff script.
Remember Si Hwan Kim’s golden chance against Kazakhstan in the group stage? Had Korea won that game, the semifinal pairings would’ve looked very different: Korea would’ve faced China, while the tournament’s two biggest powerhouses – Kazakhstan and Japan – would’ve clashed early in the semis. One missed opportunity, and the whole bracket might’ve told a different story.
Kazakhstan Survived China’s Late Push in a Dramatic Semifinal
In the first semifinal, Kazakhstan faced a fiercely motivated host nation, and China made the defending champions work for every inch of ice.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 37th minute, when tournament standout Roman Starchenko found a way past Shifeng Chen to put Kazakhstan ahead.
Just before the second intermission, Dmitri Grents added a crushing blow with a goal right before the buzzer, and it seemed like Kazakhstan had the game in hand.
But backed by a roaring crowd of 3,144 fans, China refused to back down. Late in the third period, the home team pushed hard, and after a strong play on the wing by Mingshenhao “Steven” Li, sniper Jing Wang buried a shot to make it 2–1. Suddenly, the game was wide open.
Then came a jaw-dropping moment. As China geared up for a final assault, a routine clearance from Dmitri Breus in the dying seconds somehow slipped past an unfocused Shifeng Chen. The puck trickled in at 59:12, sealing a heartbreaking 3–1 loss for the hosts. You could tell – nobody’s perfect.
Japan Staged a Comeback and Beat South Korea in Penalty Drama
The second semifinal delivered a spectacular showdown.
Riding high after an excellent group stage, South Korea entered the matchup against Japan as slight favorites – and for much of the game, they lived up to that billing. Goals from Jin Hui Ahn, Sangyeob Kim, and Si Hwan Kim saw them build leads of 2–0 and later 3–1.
But Japan refused to go quietly. Sota Isogai pulled one back late in the second period, keeping his team within striking distance.
Then, with just 1:15 left in regulation, captain Shogo Nakajima buried the equalizer. Having missed the entire group stage due to injury, Nakajima’s return in the knockout rounds gave Japan a visible lift – and in the biggest moment, he delivered like a true leader.
The game went to a shootout, where Korea’s earlier confidence seemed to waver. None of their shooters managed to beat Yuta Narisawa, while Kenta Takagi and Kento Suzuki both scored against Yeon Seung Lee to send Japan into the final.
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Semifinals |
||
|---|---|---|
| Game | Result | Date & Time |
| Kazakhstan vs China | 3-1 | 02/13 10:00 |
| South Korea vs Japan | 3-4 SO | 02/13 14:00 |
South Korea Secured Bronze as China’s Brave Run Ended in Tears
After their dream of reaching the final had slipped away, China found fresh motivation in the fight for bronze. Having come close to beating South Korea in the group stage – and having actually done so just three months earlier at the 2025 IIHF Asia Championship – the hosts believed they had a real shot.
They struck first through defenseman Zhihao Li, who picked the perfect moment to score his first goal of the tournament.
But the Korean squad responded midway through the second period – first with an equalizer from In Gyo Oh, followed by a go-ahead goal from Sangyeob Kim. Once again, China faltered in the final seconds of the second period, conceding a goal to Yu Chan Kong at 39:46.
Zesen Zhang briefly reignited Chinese hopes with a goal in the 42nd minute, cutting the deficit to 2–3. But Korea responded with two more tallies – from Chong Min Lee and Seung Jae Lee – to seal a 5–2 win and clinch the bronze medal.
For the South Koreans, the bronze was a meager consolation after their strong showing in the group stage had raised hopes for more. For China, even that prize would have meant the world. As the final buzzer sounded, the emotions on the players’ faces told the full story of what the Asian Winter Games had meant to them.
Kazakhstan Shut Down Japan to Defend Their Asian Winter Games Title
The gold medal game featured two pre-tournament favorites – Kazakhstan and Japan. While Kazakhstan had looked dominant throughout, Japan’s road to the final was anything but smooth. Their shaky group-stage performances nearly cost them, but under the leadership of captain Shogo Nakajima, they regrouped just in time to earn a shot at gold.
That dream, however, never came close to becoming reality. The defending champions delivered a masterclass in tactical discipline, keeping Japan well away from Andrei Shutov’s crease. Andrei Buyalskiy opened the scoring in the 18th minute, followed by goals from Dmitri Breus and Roman Starchenko in the second period to stretch the lead to 3–0. Kirill Panyukov added two more to put the game beyond doubt.
Kazakhstan claimed a convincing 5–0 win, completely shutting down the Japanese attack and limiting them to just 13 shots on goal – a dominant statement from a team that never looked like losing.
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Medal Games |
||
|---|---|---|
| Game | Result | Date & Time |
| 🥇 Kazakhstan vs Japan | 5-0 | 02/14 14:00 |
| 🥉 South Korea vs China | 5-2 | 02/14 10:00 |
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Final Standings |
|
|---|---|
| # | Team |
| 1 | 🥇 Kazakhstan |
| 3 | 🥈 Japan |
| 2 | 🥉 South Korea |
| 4 | China |
| 5 | Chinese Taipei |
| 6 | Thailand |
| 7 | Kyrgyzstan |
| 8 | Hong Kong |
| 9 | Kuwait |
| 10 | Turkmenistan |
| 11 | Singapore |
| 12 | India |
| 13 | Macau |
| 14 | Bahrain |
Kazakhstan Reigned Supreme – and the Numbers Say It All
The gold medals, shining brightly on the chests of Kazakhstan’s battle-tested players, could not have found more deserving owners. The Central Asian powerhouse once again confirmed its dominance over the continent, and their star-studded lineup was a true showcase of elite hockey.
Let the numbers do the talking:
- 13 of the 23 players on Kazakhstan’s AWG roster played in the KHL during the same season.
- 18 had KHL experience overall.
- 8 of them had played more than 100 games in the league.
- Team captain and tournament icon Roman Starchenko had nearly 800 KHL games and close to 400 points to his name.
- 16 players had already represented Kazakhstan at the top-level IIHF World Championship.
- Starchenko had made 9 World Championship appearances, Yevgeni Rymarev 7, followed by Samat Daniyar and Kirill Savitsky with 4 each – and the list goes on.
It’s worth noting that this wasn’t even Kazakhstan’s strongest possible lineup. Top-tier KHL names like Nikita Mikhailis, Valeri Orekhov, Arkadi Shestakov, and Leonid Metalnikov were missing. Still, it was an incredibly strong team – one that gave this year’s Asian Winter Games a real touch of class.
In that context, the spirited efforts of South Korea and China against Kazakhstan appear even more impressive. They tested the eventual champions more than anyone else, highlighting the steady growth of Asian ice hockey.
2025 Asian Winter Games: Scoring Leaders
The scoring race was dominated by Ilya Drozdetskikh, a Russian-born naturalized player representing Kuwait, who racked up an astonishing 29 points in just four games – a clear byproduct of the tournament’s lopsided matchups and high-scoring affairs.
Just one point behind him was Korean hockey legend Sang Wook Kim. Rising star Chong Min Lee of South Korea emerged as the tournament’s breakout performer, finishing fourth with 25 points.
The top goal scorer was another of Kuwait’s seven naturalized players, Anton Tsibin, who netted 14 goals.
From the gold-medal-winning team, Artyom Likhotnikov stood out as Kazakhstan’s top producer. Forward with Uzbekistan’s Humo Tashkent, Likhotnikov tallied 20 points, outshining some of his country’s most established names.
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Scoring Leaders |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Team | GP | G | A | P |
| 1 | Ilya Drozdetskikh | Kuwait | 4 | 13 | 16 | 29 |
| 2 | Sang Wook Kim | South Korea | 8 | 9 | 19 | 28 |
| 3 | Anton Tsibin | Kuwait | 4 | 14 | 13 | 27 |
| 4 | Chongmin Lee | South Korea | 8 | 11 | 14 | 25 |
| 5 | Ryan Chu | Hong Kong | 4 | 11 | 13 | 24 |
| 6 | Valeri Budevich | Kuwait | 4 | 7 | 17 | 24 |
| 7 | Bryan Tang | Hong Kong | 3 | 12 | 11 | 23 |
| 8 | Mamed Seifulov | Kyrgyzstan | 5 | 11 | 11 | 22 |
| 9 | Max Tong | Hong Kong | 5 | 12 | 9 | 21 |
| 10 | Artyom Likhotnikov | Kazakhstan | 8 | 4 | 16 | 20 |
Asian Winter Games 2025: Goaltending Stats
Among goaltenders who played at least three games, South Korea’s Jung Ho Ha posted the best stats, followed by Kazakhstan’s Andrei Shutov and China’s Shifeng Chen.
| 2025 Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – Goalie Stats |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Team | GP | GAA | SVS |
| 1 | Jung Ho Ha | South Korea | 3 | 0.33 | 95.7 |
| 2 | Andrei Shutov | Kazakhstan | 6 | 0.67 | 95.2 |
| 3 | Shifeng Chen | China | 5 | 3.17 | 92.0 |
| 4 | Dominik Vollenweider | Thailand | 3 | 7.10 | 89.6 |
| 5 | Zehao Sun | China | 3 | 2.67 | 89.2 |
Leave a Reply