Kazakhstan men's national ice hockey team
The Kazakhstan men's national ice hockey team is controlled by Kazakhstan Ice Hockey Federation. Kazakhstan is ranked 16th in the world as of 2022. They have competed at the Winter Olympics twice, in 1998 and 2006. The national team joined the IIHF in 1992 and first played internationally at the 1993 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. The team has frequently played at the elite division of the World Championship, often moving between there and the Division I level. History Kazakhstan joined the IIHF in 1992, applying as a separate member with six other former Soviet republics. They played their first IIHF tournament at the 1993 World Championship; as a new member they had to play in Group C, the lowest level. They reached the elite division for the first time in 1998, and have played at the elite level eleven times (1998, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022 and 2023). The national team has appeared at the Winter Olympics twice, in 1998 and 2006. In their debut in 1998, the Kazakhs were able to win their preliminary group, surprising many, and would finish the tournament in 8th place. They returned for the 2006 Winter Olympics, and finished