Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the country’s rising ice hockey community—which had celebrated HC Donbass Donetsk’s historic entry into the Champions Hockey League in September 2021—faced severe devastation. In response to destroyed infrastructure and displaced populations, hockey officials and enthusiasts established the Ukrainian Hockey Dream (UHD) charity foundation to preserve the sport and provide a sense of normalcy.
Led by Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine President Georgii Zubko, the foundation aims to raise $15 million to support player and staff safety, youth and professional training, and arena restoration and development. Despite continuous challenges such as air attacks, blackouts, and air-raid shelters, the foundation works to maintain training opportunities by supplying equipment, arranging transportation, and relocating portable training arenas from eastern conflict zones to safer western regions.
A major early milestone involved the rescue of nearly 1,000 Ukrainian ice hockey youth, aged 6 to 17, alongside their mothers. These children were hosted by families and clubs across multiple European nations, including Latvia, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Germany, and Romania, where they continue to reside and train safely while conditions in Ukraine remain perilous. The Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine has expressed deep gratitude to the broader European hockey community for its unprecedented solidarity and assistance. Additionally, the Champions Hockey League and various national associations demonstrated early support through financial contributions and public solidarity during the CHL Final in March 2022.
