September Hockey Classic 2026

In September 2026, the September Hockey Classic moved from Dubai to Istanbul. Four teams brought together players from Russia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Slovakia, Latvia, Germany and Uzbekistan.

Eight games were played from September 21 to 25. BAUERLAR lifted the championship trophy, the newly formed ATHL World Team reached the final, and a single goal decided the bronze medal game. Between games, participants got to know each other, spent time together and enjoyed the evening views of Istanbul on a yacht cruise.

4 teams · 7 countries · 8 games

BAUERLAR

South Ural

HS Pokatit

ATHL world team

Competing for the medals were BAUERLAR from Astana, South Ural — a representative team from the Chelyabinsk Amateur Hockey League, the Russian-Turkish team HS Pokatit, and the international ATHL World Team.

The group stage followed a single round-robin format. The top two teams advanced to the final, while the third and fourth-placed teams met in the bronze medal game. Each team played four games in total.

BAUERLAR won all three games to finish top of the standings. The Astana team opened with a 14:1 victory over South Ural, followed by wins against ATHL World Team, 11:3, and HS Pokatit, 6:3.

HS Pokatit gave the eventual champions their toughest game of the group stage. Pokatit led 2:1 at the first intermission. BAUERLAR took the lead in the second period and secured the win in the third.

The second spot in the final came down to the last group-stage game between ATHL World Team and South Ural. Both teams entered the matchup with one win: ATHL had beaten HS Pokatit 9:3, while South Ural had defeated them 10:3.

The score was tied at 3:3 after two periods. With five minutes remaining, ATHL World Team scored the decisive goal. The 4:3 victory sent them to the final, while South Ural would face HS Pokatit again — this time for bronze.

Istanbul marked ATHL World Team’s tournament debut. Players from seven countries came together for the first time to represent the league as one team.

The opportunity to join a tournament without bringing your own club is an important part of ATHL. Players who want to participate but do not have a team can join ATHL World Team and compete alongside other members of the league. It gives them a way to take part, gain international experience and become part of a team that brings together players from different countries.

In Istanbul, that idea delivered its first result: two group-stage wins, a place in the final and silver medals.

The rematch was much closer than their group-stage meeting. After losing 3:10 earlier in the week, HS Pokatit stayed in the fight for a medal until the closing moments.

South Ural scored the winning goal late in the game. The Chelyabinsk team claimed bronze with a 5:4 victory, while HS Pokatit finished fourth.

On September 25, BAUERLAR and ATHL World Team met for the second time in the tournament — this time in the final.

The Astana team proved stronger once again, winning 9:3. Four wins in four games earned BAUERLAR the September Hockey Classic 2026 title.

ATHL World Team finished their debut tournament with silver medals.

Final Standings

ATHL World Team

BAUERLAR

South Ural

HS Pokatit

Individual Awards

Best Goaltender

Valery Yunusov

South Ural

Best Defenseman

Daniil Samokhvalov

HS Pokatit

Best Forward

Artem Suvorov

ATHL World Team

Top Scorer

Daniil Ischenko

BAUERLAR

Tournament MVP

Arman Tabuldin

BAUERLAR

Off the Ice

The trip gave participants time to get to know each other away from the rink. Players from different teams gathered to talk about the games, share stories about their leagues and hometowns, and discover mutual friends.

These gatherings put a face and a story to the opponent across from you at a faceoff. By the end of the tournament, many players knew their opponents by name.

An Evening on the Bosphorus

One of the shared events was a three-hour yacht cruise along Istanbul’s European and Asian shores.

With the city lights and illuminated bridges in the background, there was music, drinks and food on board, along with plenty of time to chat with players from other teams. That evening, the tournament’s gathering place was the Bosphorus.

Closing Dinner with a View

The tournament concluded at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus. Participants gathered for the awards presentation, congratulated the medal winners and outstanding players, and shared dinner while looking back on the week.

With the final games behind them, there was no need to rush: no departure for the rink and no next opponent to prepare for. There was time to sit together, take photos with the awards and talk about where to meet again.

Thank you to everyone who came to Istanbul and spent the week with ATHL. See you at the next tournament!