Kazakhstan faced one of the toughest possible opponents – a Swiss team defending last year’s silver and aiming for the top. Coach Oleg Bolyakin’s squad still clung to a faint glimmer of hope, fully aware of the uphill battle ahead.
Kazakhs Strike First Despite Swiss Star Power
Kazakhstan entered the game highly motivated and showed no fear in the face of big-name opponents like Timo Meier, Nino Niederreiter, and Jonas Siegenthaler from the NHL.
It was actually the Kazakhs who struck first – Nikita Mikhailis capitalized on a defensive lapse behind the net and set up defenceman Adil Beketayev. Although his shot was blocked, Arkadi Shestakov reacted quickly and slammed the puck past goaltender Stéphane Charlin. The sensational 1–0 lead held until the end of the first period, which Kazakhstan also won on shots, 7–5.
🔎 Kazakhstan’s 2025 Worlds campaign is over
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Pavlenko Stands Tall as Kazakhstan Clings to Stunning Lead
After a brilliant opening period from the reigning IIHF Ice Hockey Asia Championship winners, the second frame began to reveal the quality gap between the two teams. The Swiss were spending increasing time in front of Maxim Pavlenko’s net, but the unexpected hero of Team Kazakhstan kept his side’s hopes alive with a stellar performance.
Swiss Equalizer at the Buzzer Crushes Kazakhstan’s Survival Hopes
Pavlenko, unexpectedly thrust into the starting role for the Kazakhstan ice hockey national team due to the absence of experienced netminders Andrei Shutov and Nikita Boyarkin, stood tall for nearly two full periods.
But with just five seconds remaining in the second period, Switzerland finally broke through – Kevin Fiala tied the game at 1–1, a crushing blow to the hard-working Kazakhs who were seconds away from taking a lead into the final frame. At that point, Kazakhstan were still technically safe, while Hungary remained on course for relegation to Division 1A.
Penalty Trouble Sink Kazakh Survival Bid
Fiala’s buzzer-beater goal came off his skate, but after a review, officials ruled there was no kicking motion and the goal stood. The equalizer clearly rattled Kazakhstan, who entered the final frame knowing that even the slightest mistake could cost them both the game and their place in the elite division of the ice hockey world championships.
Disaster struck in the 46th minute, when Viacheslav Kolesnikov took a poorly timed penalty. The Swiss took full advantage, hemming Kazakhstan in their zone and grabbing the go-ahead goal through Sven Andrighetto.
Swiss Take Control as Kazakhs Fade Under Pressure
At that point, the team led by captain Roman Starchenko knew they were halfway out the door to Division 1A. They threw everything forward, firing pucks from all angles at Stéphane Charlin’s net. But the Swiss kept their cool, steering Kazakhstan away from prime scoring areas and closing out the game with veteran precision.
In the 58th minute, the ageless Andres Ambühl made it 3–1, and just moments later, Damien Riat sealed it with a highlight-reel goal between the legs for a 4–1 final.
🏒 Team Kazakhstan Preview – 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Worlds
Strong Showing Against Swiss Not Enough to Save Kazakhstan
Against Switzerland – a team that has firmly established itself among the global elite over the past 15 years – Kazakhstan arguably delivered their best performance of the tournament. Their defensive play was more composed than in previous games, and they managed to string together dangerous offensive sequences that put pressure on the Swiss goalie.
Kazakhstan to Chase Top Division Return at 2026 Division 1A Tournament
Ultimately, though, it wasn’t enough. Kazakhstan failed to earn the golden point they needed and bid farewell to the top division. The real damage had already been done earlier, in the costly loss to tournament newcomers Hungary.
A campaign that began with a statement win over Norway ended in bitter disappointment. Next year, Kazakhstan will compete in Division 1A for the first time in seven years.
The tournament will take place in Sosnowiec, Poland, where the Kazakhs will fight for one of two promotion spots against France, Ukraine, Lithuania, the host nation, and fellow Asian powerhouse Japan – setting the stage for an exciting showdown between two of Asia’s top teams.
KAZACHSTAN – SWITZERLAND 1-4
Goals: 15:17 Shestakov (Beketayev, Mikhailis) – 39:55 Fiala (Malgin, Kukan), 47:15 Andrighetto (Malgin, Moser), 57:06 Ambühl (Niederreiter, Fiala), 57:44 Riat (Knak, Fora).
Kazakhstan: Pavlenko – Breus, Gaitamirov, Daniyar, Beketayev, Metalnikov, Korolyov, Mikhailov – Mikhailis, Shestakov, Starchenko, Panyukov, Likhotnikov, Savitskiy, Rymarev, Omirbekov, Kolesnikov, Kaiyrzhan, Volkov, Muratov, Mukhametov. Coach: Oleg Bolyakin.
Switzerland: Charlin – Siegenthaler, Kukan, Moser, Berni, Fora, Marti, Egli – Niederreiter, Malgin, Andrighetto, Fiala, Moy, Meier, Riat, Jager, Knak, Schmid, Ambühl, Bertschy, Baechler. Coach: Patrick Fischer.
Spectators: 3,833
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