2025 IIHF Asia Championship
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Kazakhstan |
| City | Almaty |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Dates | 6–9 November 2024 |
| Teams | 4 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Kazakhstan (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Japan |
| Third place | South Korea |
| Fourth place | China |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 6 |
| Goals scored | 33 (5.5 per game) |
| Attendance | 10,715 (1,786 per game) |
| Scoring leader(s) | Taiga Irikura (5 points) |
| Official website | |
| www.iihf.com | |
The 2025 IIHF Asia Championship was an international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) as part of the IIHF Asia Championship Series. It was the first edition of this event. The tournament was played at Halyk Arena in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 6 to 9 November 2024. Kazakhstan won the tournament after winning the group.
All four teams fielded notably young rosters. Kazakhstan selected a squad composed largely of second-tier players from the VHL and the Pro Hokei Ligasy, while both Japan and South Korea introduced several new faces. China continued its recent policy of relying exclusively on domestic talent, with no naturalized players included.
Most teams had an average age under 25, with the exception of Kazakhstan, whose roster averaged 26.55 years. China featured the youngest team, with an average age of 24.09.
The youthful lineups contributed to a competitive tournament. South Korea managed to defeat Kazakhstan in the opening game 4-1 but failed to capitalize on the upset. On the other hand, China defeated South Korea for the first time in 18 years. The tournament drew an average attendance of 1,786 per game, in a venue with an approximate capacity of 3,000.