The IIHF founded the Asia Championship to provide Asian national teams with a platform for high-level international competition, as long travel distances often prevent them from playing exhibition games during international breaks like their European counterparts.
| 2026 Asia Championship: Schedule & Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Result | Date | Time (Local) |
| South Korea vs Kazakhstan | 2-4 | 11/20 | 16:00 |
| Japan vs China | 4-1 | 11/20 | 19:30 |
| Japan vs South Korea | 0-1 | 11/22 | 16:00 |
| Kazakhstan vs China | 5-1 | 11/22 | 19:30 |
| Kazakhstan vs Japan | 4-3 | 11/23 | 16:00 |
| China vs South Korea | 0-3 | 11/23 | 19:30 |
2026 IIHF Ice Hockey Asia Championship
The men’s tournament will be preceded by the IIHF Women’s Asia Championship, taking place in Oskemen, Kazakhstan, from November 5 to 8.
| 2026 IIHF Men’s Ice Hockey Asia Championship | |
|---|---|
| Date | 📆 November 20-23, 2025 |
| Venue | 📌 Bejing, China |
| Participants | Kazakhstan Japan South Korea China |
| Defending champion | 🏆 Kazakhstan |
| 2026 IIHF Women’s Ice Hockey Asia Championship | |
|---|---|
| Date | 📆 November 5-8, 2025 |
| Venue | 📌 Oskemen, Kazakhstan |
| Participants | Japan China Kazakhstan South Korea |
| Defending champion | 🏆 Japan |
So far, four editions have been contractually agreed upon for both the men’s and women’s tournaments, though an expansion into a junior category is being considered for the future. The event can be seen as a successor to the now-defunct IIHF Asia Cup, which was held three times – in 1992, 1993, and 1995.
The Inaugural Edition: Kazakhstan Triumphs on Home Ice
The first tournament took place in November 2024 but officially carried the title 2025 IIHF Asia Championship – following the same convention IIHF uses for the World Championships, where the event name reflects the year in which the season concludes. Playing on home ice in Almaty, Kazakhstan celebrated the historic win despite an unexpected setback in their opening game against South Korea.
| 2025 IIHF Asia Championship – Final Standings | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF:GA | PTS |
| 1 | 🥇 Kazakhstan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:6 | 6 |
| 2 | 🥈 Japan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:8 | 6 |
| 3 | 🥉 South Korea | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7:8 | 4 |
| 4 | China | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4:11 | 2 |
During the inaugural edition, the participating nations iced rosters that differed – to varying degrees – from their strongest possible lineups. Kazakhstan, for instance, competed without its KHL players, while China continued its policy of not using naturalized athletes.
Meanwhile, both Japan and South Korea chose to rest several major stars from the Asia League and other competitions to give younger players a chance and broaden their talent pool.
🔎 Read our full coverage of the inaugural edition HERE
Power Balance Remains the Same – But Japan and Korea Aim to Challenge Kazakhstan
The balance of power hasn’t shifted much over the past year – Kazakhstan once again enters as the favorite to lift the trophy, but Japan and South Korea are both strong contenders capable of shaking up the standings.
The Koreans, in particular, will be eager to redeem themselves after a disappointing previous season, when they started all three major tournaments – the Asia Championship, Asian Winter Games, and World Championship Division 1B – with promise, only to stumble before the finish line.
All Eyes on Host Nation China – Young Lions Ready to Roar Again?
The host nation China will also be a team to watch, with most of its roster built around players from the Beijing Lions of the professional CIHL.
The young squad coached by Perry Pearn proved last year that the days of China being an easy target in Asian hockey are long gone. Whether that progress will be enough to lift them from last year’s last-place finish, however, remains to be seen.
A New World Map of Continental Hockey Championships
The creation of the Asian continental championship is part of the IIHF’s broader effort to make the international calendar more dynamic and to expand it with high-profile continental tournaments.
This season, for instance, also marks the launch of the IIHF European Cup of Nations – although, for now, it will feature neither the top four teams from the Euro Hockey Tour nor the suspended duo of Russia and Belarus.
It’s worth noting that other continental-style competitions already exist outside the IIHF structure. Australia and New Zealand continue their rivalry through the Trans-Tasman Challenge, while the Amerigol Latam Cup has evolved into an expanded event featuring teams not only from the Americas but also from emerging hockey markets around the world – making it no longer a purely continental championship in the strictest sense.
Africa thus remains the only continent without a dedicated national team competition in any form. However, with the sport beginning to grow in countries like Kenya and Egypt, traditional mainstay South Africa may soon find itself with new regional rivals of its own.
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