Astana 2025 Team Preview: Get to know France

The 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships B-Pool will take place from 6-11 September in Astana, Kazakhstan, with six national teams competing in 15 games over six days. Hosted by the Kazakhstan Para Hockey Federation at the Tarlan Arena, participating nations will include Italy, Japan, Sweden, Kazakhstan, France and Finland. 

The top two finishers from the round-robin tournament event will earn promotion to the A-Pool for the 2027 season and spots at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The bottom finisher will be released to the C-Pool for next season.

The vibrant host city, Astana, is the capital of Kazakhstan and is the country’s second-largest city with over one million residents. It is home to several professional ice hockey teams, including Barys Astana, which forms the core of the Kazakh national squad competing at the 2025 IIHF World Championship. This will be the 11th edition of B-Pool Worlds and the fourth time it is held in Asia. 

Here’s a look at Team France.

Background

France enters the B-Pool tournament with steady momentum and a goal to break into the top tier of international Para ice hockey. Known for their disciplined structure and improving offensive firepower, France has seen rapid growth since hosting a “Discovery of Para Ice Hockey” event in 2021 and has been a growing presence in the B-Pool, aiming to take the next step toward Paralympic qualification. The team brings a balanced mix of veterans and emerging talent, supported by a national programme that has made significant strides in recent years with France being awarded the Winter Games for 2030.

World Championships History 

2024: 5th place (B-Pool)
2022: Bronze (C-Pool)

Roster 

Forwards: Rudy Krygel, Tony Favino, Jeremy Cruchet, Florentin Albert, Mael Six, Florian Raoult, Adrien Liard, Francois Pierre, Franck Cadonna, Nicolas Navarro
Defenders: Yannick Jouenne, Roland Linier 
Goaltenders: Adrien Mousset, Laurent Blavett, Jean Paul Leplumey
Head Coach: David Lemetais

Athlete to Watch    

Hockey is everything to France’s team captain Franck Cadonna, a physical forward who has been with the program since its early stages. He owns a bronze medal from the C-Pool World Championships, and with a mix of veterans and youth now on the squad, is looking to add some B-Pool hardware to his bag, too.

Game Schedule 

Saturday, 6 September 
12:00 — France vs. Japan

Sunday, 7 September 
15:30 — France vs. Italy

Monday, 8 September 
12:00 — France vs. Finland

Wednesday, 10 September 
19:00 — Kazakhstan vs. France.

Thursday, 11 September 
12:00 — Sweden vs. France