Athletes representing Israel in IIHF competition were compelled to finance their own travel and participation in the 2026 IIHF World Championship Division II Group B tournament, following the federation’s ongoing liquidation process and bureaucratic refusals from security officials. This burden on individual labor comes as the team's potential promotion to a higher division is now frozen, with the Division II Group A tournament in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, canceled due to the regional security situation and the ongoing war with Iran.
Workers Bear the Cost
The Israeli delegation, unable to travel as an official national body, saw its players forced to fly individually, often at their own expense. This externalization of costs onto the athletes occurred despite the team achieving a flawless 5-0 record in the Division II Group B tournament, culminating in a 5-2 gold medal victory over Iceland in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday, April 13, 2026. The team scored 26 goals throughout the competition, demonstrating collective output under conditions of institutional neglect.
Head coach Evgeni Gusin, who missed the first two games due to travel issues, stated, “It’s out of our hands now,” acknowledging the systemic forces at play. He added, “But on the ice, there is no question where we belong.” The cancellation of the higher-tier tournament, scheduled for Al Ain in April 2026, directly impacts the team's advancement, with IIHF regulations often freezing promotion decisions in such circumstances. An official appeal has been filed with the IIHF Congress in Switzerland to determine the outcome, a procedural measure that does not address the underlying structural issues.
Geopolitical Conflict and State Neglect
The stated reasons for the tournament cancellation—the regional security situation and the ongoing war with Iran—highlight how geopolitical conflicts, driven by state interests, directly disrupt the lives and efforts of workers. The "bureaucratic refusals from security officials" further illustrate the state's role in imposing financial and logistical burdens on athletes, preventing collective organization and shifting the cost of participation from institutional bodies to individuals. This lack of official support, coupled with the federation's liquidation, represents a systemic failure to invest in and maintain collective resources for sport, forcing individuals into a precarious position.
Forward Kirill Polozov of the Ashdod Chiefs anchored the team’s offensive output, while the Malashchanka brothers, Henadz and Kiryl, also from the Ashdod Chiefs, provided a creative spark. Goaltender Maksim Kaliaev, a 28-year-old veteran who previously played for the Rishon Devils and is now seeking a new club in Czechia, stopped 29 of 31 shots in the decisive game against Iceland. Kaliaev remarked after the medal ceremony, “The victory belongs to the entire group; the chemistry was incredible,” and added, “Everyone played with their heart. We wanted to show the world that Israeli hockey belongs in a higher division. We aren’t just waiting for things to happen; we are pushing the game forward.” The physical toll on labor was evident as Mike Levin played through a severe shoulder injury, with Gusin noting, “Mike could barely hold his stick, but he refused to stay off the ice. That spirit defined this tournament.”
The Struggle for Support
Lev Genin, who coordinates the team’s logistical efforts, described the gold medal as a “wake-up call.” He stated, “This victory will provide a massive boost to the sport in Israel. It is time to translate this success on the ice into the promotion of infrastructure and the construction of proper rinks. These players proved that even without a home base, they are champions; imagine what they could do with real support.” This call for infrastructure investment and proper rinks exposes the long-term underfunding and privatization of collective sporting resources, which forces athletes to achieve success despite systemic disadvantages rather than through adequate institutional backing. The appeal to the IIHF Congress and calls for infrastructure represent attempts to reform within a system that has historically failed to provide for its workers.