# Israel men's national ice hockey team

The Israel national ice hockey team (Hebrew: נבחרת ישראל בהוקי קרח) is the national men's ice hockey team of Israel. Israel was ranked 35th as of May 2017 by the International Ice Hockey Federation. In 2019, the team won the gold medal in the 2019 IIHF World Championship Division II Group B tournament in Mexico City.
Its greatest achievement in its history was winning its division II group in 2005 and being promoted to division I for the first, and thus far only, time. Israel was relegated back to division II a year later.

## World Championships record

Eliezer Sherbatov drew international attention when he first played in the 2005 IIHF World U18 Championship Division III, in Bulgaria, at the age of 13, becoming the youngest player to step on the ice in an under-18 ice hockey world championship. He scored 9 points (4 goals + 5 assists) in 5 games, as the team won a bronze medal, Israel's first in hockey in a championship tournament.
The team was promoted to the IIHF World Championship Division I in 2005 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. The following year the team was relegated again to Division II. In 2010, Israel was relegated to Division III.
However, in 2011 the team finished first in Division III Group B, earning a promotion back to Division II. Israel won all five of its games by a combined score of 57–9, and was promoted to the IIHF Division II WHC to be played in 2012. Sherbatov led the tournament in points, goals, assists, and +/-, earning 26 points (14 goals + 12 assists) in just four games. He was named the best forward of the tournament.
At the 2012 IIHF World Championship Division II tournament in Bulgaria, the Israeli team was able to stay in the second division. Beginning in 2015 and still as of 2020, Sherbatov was captain of the national team.
In 2019, the team won the gold medal in the 2019 IIHF World Championship Division II Group B tournament in Mexico City, Israel's first gold medal in hockey. With the win, the team qualified for the World Championships Division 2A. Sherbatov was named Best Forward, and had the best +/- rating, was the top goal scorer, and was the top scorer with 15 points (7 goals + 8 assists) in 5 games.
| Year | Place | Division | Division place | Group | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA |
| 1992 | 30th | Group C2 | 4th | | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 42 |
| 1993 | 31st | Group C1 | 6th | | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 30 | 97 |
| 1994 | 34th | Group C2 | 7th | | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 36 |
| 1995 | 35th | Group C2 | 6th | | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 39 | 23 |
| 1996 | 35th | Group D | 7th | | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 34 | 35 |
| 1997 | 33rd | Group D | 5th | | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 28 |
| 1998 | 35th | Group D | 3rd | | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 19 |
| 1999 | 33rd | Group D | 2nd | | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 5 |
| 2000 | 34th | Group D | 1st | | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 7 |
| 2001 | 32nd | Division II | 2nd | Group B | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 11 |
| 2002 | 34th | Division II | 3rd | Group A | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 22 |
| 2003 | 37th | Division II | 3rd | Group B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 19 |
| 2004 | 38th | Division II | 5th | Group A | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 28 |
| 2005 | 30th | Division II | 1st | Group B | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 11 |
| 2006 | 28th | Division I | 6th | Group A | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 47 |
| 2007 | 34th | Division II | 3rd | Group B | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 24 |
| 2008 | 36th | Division II | 4th | Group A | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 28 |
| 2009 | 38th | Division II | 5th | Group A | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 38 |
| 2010 | 39th | Division II | 6th | Group B | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 55 |
| 2011 | 41st | Division III | 1st | | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 9 |
| 2012 | 39th | Division II | 5th | Group B | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 22 |
| 2013 | 35th | Division II | 1st | Group B | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 14 |
| 2014 | 34th | Division II | 6th | Group A | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 37 |
| 2015 | 39th | Division II | 5th | Group B | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 20 |
| 2016 | 37th | Division II | 3rd | Group B | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 33 |
| 2017 | 37th | Division II | 3rd | Group B | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 14 |
| 2018 | 37th | Division II | 3rd | Group B | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 14 |
| 2019 | 35th | Division II | 1st | Group B | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 16 |
| 2020 | | Division II | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | | Division II | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2022 | 31st | Division II | 5th | Group A | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 32 |
| 2023 | 33rd | Division II | 5th | Group A | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 37 |
| 2024 | 32nd | Division II | 4th | Group A | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 26 |
| Total | – | – | – | – | 156 | 66 | 6 | 84 | 645 | 849 |

## Olympics

Israel has tried to qualify for the Olympics four times. In their first attempt in 1996 for the 1998 Winter Olympics they played Greece in a preliminary match in Metula, which they lost 10-2. However, Greece used ineligible players, so Israel played another preliminary match against Yugoslavia, in Kaunas. Israel lost the game 5-3, but ended up being disqualified anyways due to use of ineligible players from Russia. The scores for both forfeited matches are recorded as 5-0.
Israel's second attempt was in 2012 for the 2014 Winter Olympics, where they were the lowest-ranked country attempting to qualify at 40th place. Israel was placed in a preliminary qualifying group with Croatia, Serbia and Mexico for a round-robin qualifier in Zagreb, in which they lost every game.
In 2015 Israel attempted to qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics, and were placed in the first preliminary round. In their group matches held in Tallinn, they were unable to qualify for the second preliminary round, beating Bulgaria but losing to Estonia and Mexico.
Israel's most recent attempt was in 2019 for the 2022 Winter Olympics. For the first time, they were ranked high enough to skip the first round of qualification, and were placed in the second pre-qualification round held in Brașov. In their group they lost to Romania and Iceland, but were able to beat Kyrgyzstan in overtime.
| Year | Seeding | Round | Group | Place | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA |
| 1994 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1998 | ---- | Preliminary Matches | Preliminary Matches | DQ | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 2002 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2006 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2010 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2014 | 40th | Preliminary Qualifier | Group K | 4th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 29 |
| 2018 | 32nd | Qualification Round 1 | Group K | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 26 |
| 2022 | 33rd | Qualification Round 2 | Group K | 3rd | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 24 |
| 2026 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |

## Team
### Roster

Roster for the 2024 IIHF World Championship.
Goaltenders :
| # | Player | Catches | Height | Weight | Date of birth | Club |
| 25 | Maxim Kalyayev | L | 179 cm | 79 kg | (1998-04-15) 15 April 1998 (age 26) | Rishon Devils [cs; de; fr; he; ru] |
| 1 | Nir Tichon [cz; de] | L | 183 cm | 75 kg | (1993-10-17) 17 October 1993 (age 31) | HC Spartak Žebrák [cz] |
| Defencemen |||||||
| # | Player | Shoots | Height | Weight | Date of birth | Club |
| 14 | Itay Ben Tov [de] | L | 180 cm | 83 kg | (1994-07-24) 24 July 1994 (age 30) | Haifa Mariners |
| 12 | Timur Galeyev | L | 174 cm | 68 kg | (1996-06-20) 20 June 1996 (age 28) | Jerusalem Bears |
| 5 | Denis Kozev [de] | L | 182 cm | 98 kg | (1998-09-08) 8 September 1998 (age 26) | Maccabi North Stars Metulla [de; he; ru] |
| 10 | Michail Kozhevnikov [de] | L | 183 cm | 88 kg | (1981-10-29) 29 October 1981 (age 43) | Bat Yam Dolphins |
| 4 | Nick Kreimerman | L | 184 cm | 86 kg | (2005-08-09) 9 August 2005 (age 19) | Rishon Devils U20 [cs; de; fr; he; ru] |
| 2 | Nir Sigalov | L | 173 cm | 83 kg | (2005-04-06) 6 April 2005 (age 19) | Düsseldorfer EG U20 |
| Forwards |||||||
| # | Player | Shoots | Height | Weight | Date of birth | Club |
| 11 | Guy Aharonovich | L | 176 cm | 71 kg | (2005-05-23) 23 May 2005 (age 19) | Rishon Devils U20 [cs; de; fr; he; ru] |
| 3 | Ariel Kapulkin | R | 176 cm | 77 kg | (1998-09-19) 19 September 1998 (age 26) | HC Tel Aviv |
| 22 | Maxim Khubashvili [de] | L | 182 cm | 76 kg | (1997-11-18) 18 November 1997 (age 27) | Rishon Devils [cs; de; fr; he; ru] |
| 8 | Gleb Khvoles | L | 175 cm | 73 kg | (1995-11-04) 4 November 1995 (age 29) | HC Netanya |
| 16 | David Levin | L | 179 cm | 80 kg | (1999-09-16) 16 September 1999 (age 25) | HSC Csíkszereda |
| 21 | Mike Levin | L | 173 cm | 70 kg | (2005-10-16) 16 October 2005 (age 19) | Niagara IceDogs |
| 19 | Pavel Marschyonok | L | 185 cm | 78 kg | (1994-07-12) 12 July 1994 (age 30) | HC Netanya |
| 9 | Daniel Mazour [de] | L | 186 cm | 86 kg | (1992-01-05) 5 January 1992 (age 32) | Jerusalem Capitals |
| 7 | Aviv Milner [de] | L | 183 cm | 85 kg | (1995-02-23) 23 February 1995 (age 29) | Kfar Saba Kings [ru] |
| 15 | Kirill Polozov [arz; fr; ru; tt; uk] | L | 190 cm | 95 kg | (1991-01-15) 15 January 1991 (age 33) | HC Bat Yam Chiefs |
| 18 | Yann Raskin [de] | R | 184 cm | 77 kg | (2005-06-22) 22 June 2005 (age 19) | Brantford Bandits |
| 23 | Ori Segal | L | 173 cm | 78 kg | (2004-05-08) 8 May 2004 (age 20) | Walpole Express |
| 17 | Ilya Spektor [de] | L | 171 cm | 86 kg | (1996-04-10) 10 April 1996 (age 28) | Kfar Saba Kings [ru] |
| 24 | Yuval Turner | L | 178 cm | 74 kg | (2004-03-29) 29 March 2004 (age 20) | Kristianstads IK J20 |

### Notable players

* Maxim Birbraer (only Israeli to be drafted by NHL team)
* Alon Eizenman (ACHA Hall of Fame member)
* Oren Eizenman (played 4 seasons in AHL)
* David Levin (winner of OHL's Jack Ferguson Award)
* Eliezer Sherbatov (first Israeli to play in KHL)

### Coaches

List of coaches for each tournament
| Period | Name |
| 1992–1993 | Gideon Lee |
| 1994 | Marshall Uretsky |
| 1995 | Semyon Yakubovich |
| 1996–1997 | Nikolai Epshtein |
| 1998 | Lev Sudat |
| 1999–2000 | Sergei Matin |
| 2001–2004 | Boris Mindel |
| 2005–2009 | Jean Perron |
| 2010 | Boris Mindel |
| 2011 | Sergei Belo |
| 2012–2014 | Jean Perron |
| 2015–2017 | Derek Eisler |
| 2018 | Semyon Yakubovich |
| 2019–2021 | Bobby Holík |
| 2022–2023 | Ty Newberry |
| 2024–present | Evgeni Kozhevnikov |

## All-time record against other nations

As of 27 April 2024
| Team | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA |
| Australia | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 50 | 69 |
| Belgium | 15 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 46 | 60 |
| Bulgaria | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 50 | 36 |
| China | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 25 | 58 |
| Croatia | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 53 |
| Estonia | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 79 |
| France | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Georgia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 9 |
| Germany | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| Great Britain | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| Greece | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 13 |
| Hungary | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Iceland | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 55 | 34 |
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Japan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| Latvia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 |
| Lithuania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Luxembourg | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 9 |
| Mexico | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 42 | 46 |
| Mongolia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| New Zealand | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 36 | 31 |
| North Korea | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 45 | 31 |
| Romania | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 55 |
| Serbia | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 44 |
| South Africa | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 21 |
| South Korea | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 23 |
| Spain | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 76 |
| Turkey | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 11 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
| Ukraine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 |
| Total | 165 | 69 | 9 | 87 | 662 | 895 |