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The good game

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In 2013, Swedish Hockey League team Brynas from Gavle realized it needed a new sponsorship strategy. The focus of their strategy was based on ads on the jerseys but as was and is the case with many European clubs, they had come to the point of diminishing returns. There was not enough space on the jerseys, and each new logo added on them diminished the value of the existing ones.

In short, existing partners didn’t want to pay as much as before and it was harder to find new ones.

After studying global megatrends to see where the world was going, the organization chose to focus on sustainability, an area they knew was important for their partners in the region. Specifically, they chose to focus on social sustainability.

“What we did was create a new core business. This is not a project, this is our core business area,” says Brynas Deputy CEO Johan Cahling.

The new business area - the others are youth and elite hockey and talent development – is called “A Good Start” and its purpose is to help kids and young people to a good start in life, focusing on life away from the rink. Last year, it connected with more than 16,000 kids.

The employees within “A Good Start” work daily with five different areas. They work to decrease youth unemployment in Brynas’s base, the Gavle region, they encourage more children to be physically active, help them feel safe, assist children in school, and educate volunteer leaders.

“I believe our new ways of activating our partners and establishing a partnership between society and the working environment show how a sports club can be a strong force in society. Our ambition is to inspire other strong sports organizations and businesses to increase their social responsibility,” says Cahling.

Besides a number of official corporate partners, another partner is Unicef. Brynas sends the UN children’s organization five million Swedish kronor over five years, and today, the only patches on the SHL team’s jersey are Unicef’s and the logo of “A Good Start”.

It turns out that Brynas interpreted the global trends accurately. Working with kids and youth, working with sustainability and working to make the world a better place is exactly what many corporate partners were and are looking for.

Mill Director Magnus Kangas of BillerudKorsnas, a leading provider of renewable packaging material and one of Brynas’ main partners, says he went into the latest sponsorship negotiations determined to cut the company’s commitment to the club.

“About 100 per cent of our support went to professional sports clubs, which wasn’t in line with our focus on sustainability,” he says.

“Our intention was to dramatically reduce our support to Brynas and we were surprised to hear that they had come up with ‘A Good Start’. It was exactly what we had been looking for: to work with social sustainability and help the young in society. By the end of the meeting we had tripled our support,” Kangas adds.

They’re not alone. The new strategy has not only helped kids and youth, it has made Brynas’ revenues go up.

“These days, to be relevant, all companies have to think of their social responsibility,” says Cahling.

And, stresses Cahling, “A Good Start” is a true partnership between the different stakeholders. The main partners are a part of the steering group for “A Good Start”, getting a say on strategical decisions. Brynas just happens to be in the middle of it all.

“That’s where we make strategic decisions, discuss new ways of working, even new partners. The reason we have defined our region to be 150 kilometres in diameter around Gavle is because that’s in line with that of our insurance partner,” Cahling says.

One of the main events of the year was the UN’s International Children’s Day, which Brynas and the partners arranged at Gavlerinken, the club’s arena. (The club sold the arena’s naming rights in 2006 but when the Gavle municipality came in as main partner of “A Good Start”, the arena was renamed back to simply “Gavle rink”).

This year, more than 2,000 kids arrived to the rink to learn and to have fun. There was a stage show with Swedish pop stars, Unicef was there, the kids learned to do CPR, and they shared their take on what a good friend is like. Their answers - “considerate”, “honest” – can be seen on the boards in Brynas’ home games this season.

After three years, “A Good Start” has gone from one employee to five, Brynas’s revenues have increased, and main sponsors have already re-upped their commitment.

“It takes a few years for everyone to learn the new concept and for the companies to learn how to communicate their commitment to “A Good Start” but now we have a good structure and a solid operation here,” Cahling says.

Now he wants to take it to the next level. If Brynas can help kids in their region, what would happen if all 14 SHL teams joined forces?

We’ll find out soon. Early next year, the SHL will work with The Swedish Public Employment Service in a pilot project, using the Brynas model in which young people are offered, for example, internships and training.

“All in all, we have 15,000 corporate partners in Sweden so we should be able to move a lot of young people. The focus is on the ones who have had the hardest time to find work,” Cahling says.

And then?

“Hockey could be the biggest social force in Europe. Why not do this on a European level? If we just make up our minds, we can do it. Together,” he says.

RISTO PAKARINEN

2019 WJC tickets

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The province of British Columbia is getting ready to welcome hockey fans from around the for the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship in Vancouver and Victoria.

In the year since Hockey Canada announced that B.C. was awarded the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, the local host committee - co-chaired by Ron Toigo, managing director of Shato Holdings and president and majority owner of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, and Barry Petrachenko, chief executive officer of BC Hockey - has worked closely with Hockey Canada and its local partners on the preparation to host what has become a Canadian holiday tradition for fans from coast to coast to coast.

The work has included the hiring of Riley Wiwchar (Comox, B.C.) as tournament director, and a full event ticket package pre-sale to season ticket-holders of the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Giants, and Victoria Royals, as well as a list of Hockey Canada Insiders. Beginning Friday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. PT, full-event ticket packages will be on sale to the general public here.

“The excitement in Vancouver, Victoria, and across the province around this event has been amazing. The results of the pre-sale exceeded our expectations; as we move into the phase of public sales, hockey fans can secure their event packages for Vancouver or Victoria at a variety of price points, with great seats still available,” said Wiwchar, whose Hockey Canada resume includes roles as the general manager of the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship in Toronto, the 2016 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Kamloops, B.C., and the Montreal lead at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship. “The launch of ticket sales is a significant milestone not just for us as event organizers, but for the fans from across the country and around the world who begin to plan their travel to beautiful British Columbia.”

Hockey Canada hosted news conferences in Vancouver and Victoria on Thursday to launch ticket-sales as well as introduce the event logo and REPRESENT – a multi-faceted marketing campaign that speaks to the role that players, coaches, and fans play representing their community, province, and country through their involvement with the world juniors.

“This has been an amazing experience so far, and it just becomes more fun as we get closer to next year’s event,” said co-chairs Petrachenko and Toigo. “Hockey fans came out in full force when Vancouver hosted in 2006, and we know they will be out to REPRESENT when Vancouver and Victoria host next year.”

2019 World Juniors a true provincial event

In addition to the official tournament games in Vancouver and Victoria, at least 10 pre-tournament matches will be held in B.C. communities – expanding the impact of the event in the province. The Government of British Columbia has committed its support to the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.

"It’s incredibly exciting to welcome the World Juniors back to British Columbia for the upcoming championships,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “For the past century, BC Hockey has provided opportunities for youth to participate in sport. This year, hockey fans and players from across the province will have the opportunity to be a part of hockey history as teams prepare for the tournament in communities across the province.”

Hockey Canada has operated the IIHF World Junior Championship 12 times in the tournament’s 40-year history. The 2019 World Juniors will be co-hosted at the home of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, and at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria. Regional economic impact studies of the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship estimated the financial spinoff for the host-communities to top $80 million.

“We are proud to once again host the IIHF World Junior Championships in Vancouver,” said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. “It’s no secret that Vancouverites love their hockey and this promises to be a great event for all the fans out there. I look forward to working with our partners in Victoria to welcome the world back to the West Coast for what promises to be an unforgettable tournament.”

“The City of Victoria is excited to co-host this great international event,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps. “We look forward to joining fellow citizens in cheering on Team Canada inside the arenas and out in the community next year.”

A legacy plan for the potential profits of the event will provide for grassroots hockey program support across the province and throughout Hockey Canada’s 13 regional members, as well as the CHL. A portion of the profits are used by the IIHF to grow the game internationally.

Zarley Zalapski passes away

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Zarley Zalapski, who played for Canada at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, died on Tuesday at age 49. The cause of death was undisclosed.

The puck-moving defenceman from Edmonton, Alberta made headlines when he was drafted fourth overall in the 1986 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, Zalapski opted to put his international career first, playing for the Canadian national team under head coach Dave King for three seasons.

It was a big leap for a teenager coming out of Tier-II hockey with the AJHL’s Fort Saskatchewan Traders, but he made the best of it. His achievements included being named Best Defenceman at the 1987 Izvestia Tournament in Moscow, where Canada upset the favoured host Soviets, and adding three assists at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship that year as his nation came fourth in Vienna.

Canada again placed fourth when it hosted the Winter Games for the first time in 1988, with Zalapski notching a goal and three assists. He then joined Pittsburgh for the remainder of the 1987/88 season.

Zalapski cracked the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1988/89 with 45 points. However, he missed out on winning the Stanley Cup with the Mario Lemieux-era Penguins since he was traded on 4 March 1991 to the Hartford Whalers. The blockbuster deal also saw John Cullen and Jeff Parker going to Hartford in exchange for Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings.

In Hartford, Zalapski peaked as an NHL points producer. Known for his power play skills, he had a career-high 20 goals and 57 points in 1991-92, and then jumped to 65 points in 1992-93, making the NHL All-Star Game that season. He would also play for the Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens before ending his 12-year NHL career in 1999/2000 with 384 points in 637 games.

But there was more to come for the 186-cm, 102-kg veteran. After suiting up for several IHL teams, he took his talents to Europe, playing in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, and Austria. He became a Swiss citizen through marriage in 2006 and spent six seasons in the top-two Swiss leagues. Zalapski’s final stint in the Swiss National League B proved most rewarding, as he won championships with Lausanne HC in 2009 and 2010.

Tuesday’s news prompted an outpouring of sympathy around the hockey world. Calgary Flames president CEO Ken King said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened with the news of Zarley’s passing. We are proud that Zarley wore the Flames jersey; made Calgary his home following his playing career; represented our alumni executive; and we will always remember him as a member of the Flames family.”

LUCAS AYKROYD

Semi-final picture complete

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There was drama, there were comebacks. On Tuesday night the two Czech teams Ocelari Trinec and Bili Tygri Liberec as well as JYP Jyvaskyla from Finland and the Vaxjo Lakers from Sweden qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions Hockey League.

In January the home-and-away semi-finals will be played between JYP Jyvaskyla and Ocelari Trinec, and between the Vaxjo Lakers and Bili Tygri Liberec. The winners will play the one-game CHL final on 6th February 2018.

Only one of the four semi-finalists managed to win both games. One week earlier Ocelari Trinec beat Brynas Gavle 3-1 thanks to three unanswered third-period markers. On the road in Sweden on Tuesday evening they added two more goals early in the game and eventually won 5-3. Brynas’ comeback attempt failed despite a 44-29 shot-on-goal advantage. Eight different players scored the goals for Ocelari in the two games.

JYP Jyvaskyla prevented an all-Czech semi-final clash by winning on the road in the country’s second-biggest city of Brno. The week before on home ice JYP and Kometa Brno ended up with a 3-3 tie. Three goals from just six shots on goal and a hat trick from Jan Suss gave Kometa the hope to rise to the next stage. But on home ice it was JYP that started like a comet. Jarkko Immonen opened the scoring after five minutes before Juuso Puustinen and Janne Kolehmainen added two more markers for a comfortable three-goal first-period lead. Kometa came as close as 3-4 late in the third period but an empty netter gave JYP the 5-3 win and a semi-final ticket.

Two teams that came back from a loss in the first game will meet in the other semi-final. Bili Tygri Liberec was the second Czech team to qualify after beating 2009 CHL champs ZSC Lions Zurich in shootout. The “White Tigers” had lost their home game 1-0 on an Inti Pestoni goal. In a defensive game in Zurich they had trouble eliminating that deficit until Lukas Krenzelok opened the scoring at 1:39 of the third period. With an aggregate score of 1-1 the teams went into overtime and eventually a shootout. There Martin Bakos scored the shootout-winner for Liberec.

Swedish teams won the last three editions of the CHL with Lulea HF in 2015 and back-to-back titles by Frolunda Gothenburg in 2016 and 2017. This time the Swedish league leader Vaxjo Lakers will be the only representative from the country in the semi-finals after a comeback quarter-final win against Swiss leader SC Bern. SCB had won the first game 3-2 before 13,629 fans one week ago but wasn’t able to defend the one-goal cushion in Sweden. The Swiss tied an early lead through Andrew Calof with a power-play goal from Mark Arcobello but three unanswered goals from Liam Reddox, Elias Pettersson and Robert Rosen settled the case and Vaxjo won 4-2. Arcobello scored the second goal for SC Bern with six minutes left to play but his team didn’t manage to come back and tie the aggregate score.

Visit www.championshockeyleague.com for more information, game highlights

MARTIN MERK

Media accreditation

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ZURICH – Media accreditation for the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Denmark can now be requested until 29 January.

Making up for lost season

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Donat Szita and the Hungarian U20 national team look to turn heads at the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division I Group A in France where six teams battle for promotion to the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship in Canada.

For Szita it’s not the first stint with the U20 national team but the first time to play at that level. Two years ago the Hungarians played two tiers below in the Division II Group A.

“This is different now. Right now I am one of the oldest guys, two years ago I was the youngest one. Of course things have changed, I play in a different league now and I have improved as a player. I was role player two years ago, now I am one of the leaders,” says Szita.

Last season didn't exactly go the way he expected it. Szita was hoping to not only be a stable member of Fehervar Titanok, the farm team of Fehervar AV19, which plays in the Hungarian-Romanian MOL Liga but also to make his debut in the Austrian-based EBEL. He was also hoping to have a strong U20 World Championships on home ice. Last year’s U20 Division I Group B tournament was held in the capital of Budapest.

As he was preparing for a strong 2016/17 season, Szita was informed that he had picked up an injury that not only would delay the start of the season but would most likely make him miss the entire season. “During that summer I overworked my leg and the muscle had ripped off a cartilage in my hip, I was pretty much injured from August through February,” said Szita. “It was hard to realize what happened. I tried to have a positive spin on everything and to work hard both mentally and physically to get back the quickest and as fast as I could.”

It is hard for a young player to deal with going from thinking he will have a breakout season to then possibly missing his entire season. However, he did the most he could with his time. He did not only concentrate on his studies but he also tried his hand in coaching. Glen Williamson, the head coach of the Hungarian U18 national team and the director of the youth development program, invited Szita to be a guest coach for a number of age groups. “It was very interesting to see everything from the other side, I was very happy that Glen Williamson had asked me to be a guest coach for a number of youth mini camps and training camps throughout the year. I could see how things worked and it was very useful for me as well. I could see how the entire process works and what the coaches look for when they put the team together. I would like to work as a coach once I finish up my playing career. I had already experienced everything what the kids were going through who I was working with.”

At the last year’s IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division I Group B Szita missed out but saw his friends and teammates earn promotion to the Division I Group A the year after he had been part of the team that had gone up to Division I Group B.

“Last year I missed the U20 World Championship Division I Group B that were held in Budapest, however, if feel that me being called into the senior national team camp at the end of the year made up for this. I also played on the U25 national team as well. I think that every World Championship is a big event, this will be my last World Championship as a junior so I want to play well and finish on a high note,” said Szita.

Szita worked hard both on and off the ice to get back in game shape. He got his big break at the end of the season as he was able to step on the ice at the end of the season. He ended up playing the end of the season not only in the MOL Liga and the playoffs but also made his EBEL debut.

“At the World Championship we would like to play to the best of our abilities. We have not really met up against most of the teams that we are facing but we will be prepared for them. We are not the favourites but we want to be a surprise team at the tournament.”

This season he has been playing both with the top team and the farm team, and is a first-line player with the U20 national team, which as a newcomer managed to keep up with Latvia, France and Kazakhstan but didn’t get a win in the first three games. They were closest against host France with a 3-2 lead after two periods but the French tied it up late in the game and won in overtime.

Now Hungary will play for survival in the remaining games against Germany and Austria.

SZABOLCS SZAVODSZKY

Norway holds its nerve

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BLED, Slovenia – Norway edged Poland in a tournament-deciding shootout to seal top spot in the IIHF World Under-20 Championship Division IB on Friday.

The teams met in the final game of the tournament in Slovenia, both knowing that any kind of victory would be good enough to win the competition and claim a spot in Division IA next year. Norway eased into a 2-0 lead thanks to a quick-fire salvo early in the second period, but the Poles refused to yield. Dominik Jarosz pulled one back in the middle frame, then Alan Lyszczarczyk potted a dramatic equalizer with seven seconds left. Overtime was scoreless, but in the shootout Norway’s strong goaltending made the difference: Jorgen Hanneborg, who plays his hockey in Finland with the Espoo Blues, won all his duels. Martin Ellingsen claimed the decisive score.

The game promised to be a clash of styles. Norway had reached this stage thanks to a miserly defence, allowing just three goals in four games. Poland, meanwhile, offered lively offense: Lyszczarczyk, who plays in Canada with Owen Sound System, topped the scoring charts ahead of strike partner Bartlomiej Jeziorski, but there were questions over the defence, especially after the team allowed six power play goals during the tournament.

At times, the game reflected that. From the start, Poland was happy to get forward and shoot at Hanneborg’s net. Norway, by contrast, looked for more control of the puck and sought to carve out clear-cut opportunities. After a scoreless opening stanza, the Norwegians exploded with two goals in 64 seconds early in the second. Samuel Solem created the first, weaving his way to the Polish net before Esbjorn Live Vold beat Kamil Lewartowski to a rebound and open the scoring. It wasn’t long before Mads Homdrom added a second, getting the vital touch on Joachim Nielsen’s shot from the blue line after Poland failed to clear its zone.

But then the Polish PK raised its game, seeing off a short 3-on-5 situation before Jarosz reduced the deficit. Then came the dramatic finish. Ellingsen almost won it for Norway but fired narrowly wide of the empty net, then got a minor for holding. Poland took advantage, forcing the puck home with seven seconds left on the clock when Lyszczarchuk shot a wrister through heavy traffic to tie the scores. That was his eighth goal and 15th point of the tournament; Jeziorski’s helper took him to 12 (5+7).

The Poles celebrated hard, but the reprieve was temporary. Ellingsen redeemed himself for that late penalty by deking his way past Lewartowski to win the shootout, and the tournament. The result means Norway makes an instant return to Division IA following its relegation in Bremerhaven 12 months ago.

However, Poland’s future at this level looks encouraging. Head coach David Leger highlighted the youth of his roster, which had two players born in 2000 and drew heavily on the squad that suffered relegation at u18 level a year ago.

Host nation Slovenia had hopes of disturbing the top seeds in the group, but finished third after losing to Poland in a shootout after a 4-4 tie and then suffering a 1-5 drubbing against the Norwegians. Ukraine took fourth place, but was competitive in all its games.

At the foot of the table, Lithuania returns to Division II after picking up just two points from two overtime losses. Italy also finished on two points, but crucially defeated the Lithuanians 2-1 in overtime to preserve its status by virtue of the head-to-head record. Simon Berger, of HC Pustertal, got the vital goal for the Azzurri, converting a power play three minutes into the extras.

Among the individual awards, the two Polish hot-shots Lyszczarczyk and Jeziorski led the scoring, with Norway’s Jacob Alexander Noer coming in third with 4+6=10 points. Poland’s late goal denied Hanneborg the top ranking among the goalies – Lithuania’s Laurynas Lubis pipped him with by stopping an impressive 95.29% of his shots across three appearances, although the Norwegian had fractionally the better GAA of 1.26 against 1.29.

Click here for scores and stats.

ANDY POTTS

Japan’s juniors rise

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DUMFRIES, Great Britain – After an absence of two years, the Japanese U20 national team returns to the Division I thanks to an almost flawless week in Dumfries, Scotland, at the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division II Group A.

Five victories, with four in regulation time including a final-day win over hosts Great Britain, was enough to see Japan promoted from Division II Group A with 14 points out of a possible 15.

The week began in convincing fashion for Teruhiko Okita’s side as Tohi Kobayashi scored twice in a 6-1 victory over the Netherlands, who would go on and be relegated despite a thrilling final-day win over Estonia when they came from 4-1 down to win 6-5.

The Japanese weren’t always in control of the group though after they dropped a point in their second game against Romania. Kobayashi scored the game-winning goal 97 seconds into overtime to give his side a narrow 3-2 victory.

Hosts Great Britain led the way after three games with wins over Romania (3-2), Estonia (6-2) and the Netherlands (8-1); in a game which saw the tournament’s leading goal scorer Liam Kirk – who ended the competition with seven goals – grab a hat trick.

Japan kept up their winning record with a 5-1 victory over Korea before the dynamics of the group took a twist on game day four.

It was pretty routine for Japan in a 4-1 success over Estonia, but GB lost 5-4 to Korea after a penalty-shot shootout, so it was the Japanese who topped the group going into the final day.

Korea, who won promotion from Division II Group B last season and was the tournament’s lowest-seed team, beat Romania 5-2 – a result which would ultimately secure them the silver medal.

Japan was denied promotion in a final-day showdown with Lithuania in Estonia last year, but they never looked like suffering the same fate in the game for gold with Great Britain as goals from Masato Kume and Daiki Miura opened up a two-goal lead.

Kirk, who also led the tournament in points with 14 in five matches, pulled GB to within one, but Hayato Aiki and Daiki Miura stretched Japan’s lead to 4-1.

GB head coach Slava Koulikov took his timeout at 15:22 of the third period and lifted netminder Jordan Lawday for the extra skater and it paid dividends within 15 seconds as Cole Shudra scored.

Despite a further three minutes of constant pressure the British were unable to find a way past Eiki Sato – and Junki Shinoda wrapped the game up into the empty net.

It was agony for the hosts who had to settle for bronze and they missed out on promotion at the first time of asking after having come down from the Division IB, but Japan – who conceded the lowest goals in the tournament (seven) and scored the joint-highest (23) – makes a return to Division I in fine style.

Silver went to Korea, which finished the tournament in second place and the U20 World Championship program in 24th place overall – better than ever in the U20 category. Jong Min Lee and Juhyung Lee were the best scorers behind Kirk with six goals and four assists.

Click here for scores and stats.

CHRIS ELLIS

Century of the NHL

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OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens celebrated the NHL’s centennial in style on Saturday with an outdoor game in the Canadian capital that was as chilly as it was spectacular. The Senators won the Scotiabank NHL100 Classic 3-0, providing a little belated revenge after Montreal beat Ottawa 7-4 on 19 December 1917 on the opening night in NHL history.

Jean Gabriel-Pageau broke a scoreless tie at 14:55 of the second period, tipping captain Erik Karlsson’s point shot past Montreal goalie Carey Price. Bobby Ryan made it 2-0 with 2:58 left, stripping Jonathan Drouin inside the Montreal blue line and beating Price high, and Nate Thompson added an empty-netter. Goalie Craig Anderson got the shutout with 28 saves.

A sell-out crowd of 33,959 at TD Place Stadium, home of the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Redblacks, witnessed the home team’s victory. The temperature was -10.8 Celsius, and everyone there – from the players to the fans to iconic Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, who played a second-intermission show – felt the sting of northern winter.

“This embodies a true Canadian experience,” said Ryan, a 2010 American Olympic silver medallist who learned his hockey in California. “For me, it was fingers and hands. I heard some guys complain about ears and feet, but everybody’s different. My hands were cold! I was as close to the heater as I could be between shifts.”

Regardless, there is something undeniable about the romance of playing hockey outdoors. It’s the same mystique that the Canadian and American U20 teams will experience when they play the first IIHF World Junior Championship stadium game ever on 29 December at Buffalo’s New Era Field, home of the NFL Bills.

Even though 2017 World Junior MVP Thomas Chabot has graduated to the Senators, he has fond memories of playing outdoors.

“I think literally 30 seconds from my house back home I have an outdoor rink,” said the 20-year-old Canadian defenceman, who also got Best Defenceman and all-star honours in addition to a silver medal in Montreal. “The hours I spent there, I couldn’t even tell you. I’d get out of school and go right there until 9 or 9:30 at night. To actually have the chance to play a game during the NHL season on an outdoor rink, it’s special.”

The IIHF also has a history with outdoor games. On 7 May 2010, a then-world record attendance figure (77,803) was set at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen when IIHF World Championship host Germany topped the U.S. 2-1 in overtime in its opener.

Ottawa winger Alexandre Burrows has competed on many big stages, from playing for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins to representing Canada at the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Belarus. “I don’t think this game compares to the magnitude of the Stanley Cup final or the World Championship,” Burrows said. “But it makes you think back to playing outdoors as a kid and to your personal path that you took to get here.”

The NHL100 Classic had plenty of celebrity power, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in attendance and Habs legends Guy Lafleur and long-time Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson performing the ceremonial opening faceoff.

The festivities extended beyond TD Place Stadium. A rink to mark Canada’s 150th birthday was built for public skating on Parliament Hill, and the Senators alumni staged a game there on Friday night, welcoming back both beloved icons and prodigal sons. As a light snow fell, Alfredsson’s team crushed the Chris Phillips-led opposition 12-3 with four goals from Alexandre Daigle, the number one overall draft pick in the 1993 NHL Draft. Both Chris Neil, the 15-season Senators veteran who just retired as the NHL’s active PIM leader (2,522), and Alexei Yashin, the Russian national team star who feuded with Ottawa about his contract, received warm pre-game ovations.

The mobile NHL Centennial Fan Arena displayed colourful memorabilia from Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame, including revolutionary Habs goalie Jacques Plante’s 1950s practice mask, Wayne Gretzky’s flimsy 1990s Jofa helmet from his Los Angeles days, and a game-used puck from a 3 October 1997 game between Anaheim and Vancouver at Tokyo’s Yoyogi Arena, the first regular-season NHL game ever outside North America. The Stanley Cup, naturally, was the main attraction.

Showing how hockey permeates Ottawa’s culture, fans could also pose for photos with Lord Stanley’s Gift, a chalice-like, 28 October-unveiled monument commemorating the Cup at the intersection of Sparks and Elgin Streets. Or they could visit the Canada Science and Technology Museum, which recently underwent an $80-million renovation. It has displays featuring miniature wireless helmet sensors to help reduce concussions, carbon-fibre hockey sticks that belonged to Karlsson and Alfredsson, and motion-capture technology used for the EA Sports NHL video games.

Even in the lobby of the historic Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel, a “Trees of Hope” Christmas tree showcased the Senators’ long-time support of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Getting a win at the NHL100 Classic was a boost for Ottawa fans, who have fretted about the team’s precarious playoff position, Karlsson’s next mega-contract, and the theoretical possibility of relocation. The city that hosted the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2013 IIHF Women’s World Championship has just added another cool moment to its legacy.

“They did a great job of making sure that we had it as good as we possibly could,” said Karlsson. “I think that the fan turn-out was unbelievable. The atmosphere out there was great. The pre-game show, the national anthem, everything. Leading up to this, it’s been just spectacular. It’s something that, even though we were playing an important game, everybody really took a step back and soaked it in as much as we could. We’re extremely happy we got the opportunity to do this.”

LUCAS AYKROYD

Kazakhs go to BC

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COURCHEVEL/MERIBEL, France – Kazakhstan won the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division I Group A and will play at the World Junior Championship for the first time since 2009.

Every year, the Christmas season is one that plays host to a plethora of national teams in a number of tournaments across the globe. Rarely do these tournaments see as dominant a point-consuming winner as the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division I Group A, which has once again sweetened the holiday season for some, while giving a number of nation’s ice hockey programs plenty to think about in preparing for next year’s edition.

Spent in the lovely, snow-filled Meribel and Courchevel in France, a new champion has been crowned and it’s none other than the tournament’s most exotic geographical participant, Kazakhstan. This was concluded in astounding fashion as the Kazaks polished off host France 6-1 in the final game, allowing the team to go undefeated in collecting 13 of 15 possible points. Saturday’s victory, as well as gaining first place, was due in part to defenseman Valeri Orekhov, who led the way in putting an exclamation point on the top spot with three assists, allowing him to tie for the lead in tournament scoring with seven points.

This amount was also tallied by teammate Artur Gatiyatov, who proved to be Johnny on the spot at several junctures of the tournament. He also tied for the tournament’s lead in the plus-minus department with a +5. Clearly though, scoring over the five-game event was spread out across a number of shoulders. Another top point-getter was Nikita Nazarenko, who contributed four goals and two assists, despite often playing on a different line that Gatiyatov. All in all, 10 players accumulated two or more points.

The journey to first place experienced its first test when Kazakhstan required overtime to defeat eventual 3rd place Germany 3-2 in the first game of the tournament. The exact same path needed to be taken in their second game, having beaten eventual 2nd-place Latvia by the same score in overtime to set the pace. After that, the Kazaks completed one mission after another, defeating the promoted Hungary by a tight score of 5-3, Austria in a 3-2 thriller, and then host France 6-1 in the only game of the tournament that saw the promoted Kazakhstan really dominate their opponent over 60 minutes.

That elation was clearly evident throughout the arena, most especially noticed by the predominantly French spectators, once the siren had rung and Kazakhstan’s celebration began taking place.

After a very strong showing in 2016 followed by another respectable showing (and a bit of bad luck) in 2017, the Kazak program has achieved its goal and will be a part of the big show in 2019 when the world’s best juniors gather in Vancouver and Victoria in Canada’s western province of British Columbia. Home to a population of roughly 18 million inhabitants, the intentions and progress of the Kazak ice hockey program have become very clear in recent years thanks to the achievements of the U18 and U20 teams, both of which have performed strongly in the respective Division I tournaments in the U18 and U20 categories. Something that is reminding viewers of the type of progress that Belarus has enjoyed in recent years.

Taking notes

In a couple of weeks Belarus will be part of the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship taking place in Buffalo, New York. That was made possible thanks to a convincing Division I tournament victory last December in Bremerhaven, Germany. Their journey took them from one B-town to another. And the Division I group serves as the stepping stone for every ambitious hockey nation that feels it should be duking things out with the world’s best. That’s now a step Kazakhstan will be experiencing for itself this time next year and will surely have all eyes on this year’s edition of the tournament, which will begin on 26th December.

It’s a tournament Kazakhstan’s hardest opponent, Latvia, is all too familiar with and one it desperately wants to be part of year for year.

A clear favourite heading into this December’s Division I Group A, the Latvian U20 national team was making a journey from North America to France, where their mission could only be to achieve direct re-qualification to the world’s top U20 division. To get back up, they’d have to beat recent Division I power Germany, ever-improving French and Kazakh teams, the grab bag Austrians, and a Hungarian team that has swiftly made its way up to Division I through some good grassroots development.

Only two years ago, this Latvian team had defeated some stiff competition in Vienna, Austria, to make its way up to the world’s elite. A 1-0 victory over Germany on the final day of the tournament allowed the Latvians, who had lost to Kazakhstan just 3-2 in overtime, to keep their hopes high, but alas, that one point lost to Kazakhstan on the second day of the tournament proved the difference on the final day.

Keeping things tight

German coach Christian Kunast perhaps said it best by stating, “We’ve once again come to see that this division won’t let you get away with even one bad day. At the end of the tournament, the team gaining promotion is the one that plays most consistently right from day one.”

A glance at the paths taken by Latvia and Germany at this tournament, much less that of Kazakhstan, which had it lost in overtime to either Germany or Latvia, would not have gained promotion when all was said and done, once again showed how tight the competition is at this level. Latvia missed out by one shootout loss and Germany’s loss of five possible points proved extremely bitter, considering each loss was by just one goal. A different hero here or there could have seen any of these three countries finish first.

“Our congrats go to Kazakhstan for gaining promotion,” stated German team manager Klaus Merk. “They played the best tournament, managing to do what was necessary when it was necessary, and rightfully earned first place in the standings.”

Differing a bit from previous years were the fates of Austria, France, and Hungary. Other than beating up each other, none of the three could make a dent against the tourney’s top three. Hungary’s one point came in OT against France, which at that juncture of the tournament seemed like quite the success. Nonetheless, the level of play in France and at this tournament was too much for Hungary, which still must be seen as an up and coming ice hockey nation.

Clearer playing field and continued trend

Almost surprisingly, the host nation France didn’t have the tournament it expected. After a very strong appearance last December in Germany, where the team managed to feature the tournament’s top scorers (Gabin Ville and Bastien Maia with 12 and 10 points respectively) and really give the impression that it will be reckoned with for promotion this year, the team simply couldn’t come close to achieving the same level of success. This came as a bit of a surprise for several reasons.

The home-ice advantage was felt to give the team a big boost, especially after the men’s World Championships were successfully co-held in France just this past May. In addition, the team featured what many felt would be the tournament’s strongest player, Alexandre Texier, a 2017 2nd-round draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets who is currently taking a regular shift for KalPa in Finland’s top senior circuit, for whom he has scored eight goals in 30 games. After kicking off the tournament with three assists in France’s convincing 6-1 victory over Austria, he managed just one point over the next four games in which France garnered just two points and was shut out twice. His power outage was indicative of France’s 4th place finish in the tournament.

Another trend that has developed at the Division I level was once again confirmed, namely that nations of the former USSR not only were among the most competitive, but also posed the tournament’s champion for the third year running. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as each of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Latvia have a rich history with the sport, which is clearly the most popular team sport in Belarus and Latvia while being as much in several parts of Kazakhstan.

On the way down

As if the organizers knew this match-up might hold such relevance, the final day of the tournament included an Austro-Hungarian match-up that featured a do-or-die scenario with respect to relegation. The two nations of Austria and Hungary are not just deeply entwined from an historical standpoint, but each have teams playing in the EBEL, a multinational league that stretches across four Central European nations and organizes its own junior leagues. A great many of the players dotting the roster have come up through the junior programs fostered by EBEL participants and/or are currently playing in North America, Scandinavia or Switzerland.

Each having entered the game with no more than a single point, Austria managed to pull out a convincing 5-2 victory, which was one that the team celebrated with aplomb. Forward Marco Rossi looked like a man on a mission with two goals and four points, proving to be the difference like few individuals had been in a game thus far. Although this was certainly a bit of a damper in the program’s progress, ice hockey pundits continue to believe that Austria will start to have a higher impact on the international ice hockey scene at this level in the years to come.

For now, the nations of Germany, France, and Austria will watch the progress of Kazakhstan at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship while anxiously awaiting to see who will join them next winter after this year’s World Juniors in Buffalo. One thing they already know is that Norway will be rejoining them at next year’s Division I Group A tournament. To get there, Norway required a shootout victory to defeat Ukraine and then another in the final game to defeat Poland.

As such, things are getting tighter at the U20 level - something that every true ice hockey fan has to love to see.

CHAPIN LANDVOGT

Malaysian juniors win

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KUALA LUMPUR – For the first time in this format an IIHF Ice Hockey U20 Challenge Cup of Asia was held and the winner is... Malaysia! The Southeast Asian nation won the tournament at its new home, the Malaysia National Ice Skating Stadium that opened earlier this year as the first full-size ice rink of the country just outside of the capital of Kuala Lumpur.

It was the first time an U20 Challenge Cup of Asia was held for countries that don’t participate in the IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship program. The tournament was one of several that will be hosted in Kuala Lumpur after the inauguration with 2017 Southeast Asian Games four months ago. The 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey Challenge Cup of Asia Division I on the men’s side and the two IIHF Ice Hockey Women's Challenge Cup of Asia divisions will be hosted at the same venue in March.

Malaysia’s win came as a surprise considering that in senior hockey the country is ranked behind several of the participating nations. But the Malays allowed just seven goals in four games and scored 36. Eventually no opponent came closer than a five-goal margin against the hosts.

The biggest win came on the opening day with a 11-0 crushing of neighbouring country Philippines where the first goal was scored after just 31 seconds and the Malays got a 3-0 lead after just over three minutes of play.

Against India the hosts had a tougher fight in the beginning. The Indians managed to tie the score three times in the first half of the game before Malaysia eventually skated to a 12-4 victory.

The third game was the deciding one as both Malaysia and Kyrgyzstan started with a 2-0 record. Kyrgyzstan had beaten the Philippines (12-4) and the United Arab Emirates (10-2) before the Saturday night game with the hosts and Zhanbolot Tagayev opened the scoring after 54 seconds to give the Kyrgyz the lead. It was the only time during the tournament the Malays were behind. However, Nurul Nizam Deen Versluis tied it up just two minutes later and Mohammad Hariz Mohammad Oryza Ananda followed up with two more goals en route to a 6-1 win.

On Sunday 826 fans saw Malaysia also win its last game, 7-2 against the United Arab Emirates, to celebrate the tournament win on home ice with a clean streak. Kyrgyzstan also won its last game, 13-2 against India, and had to settle for second place.

The United Arab Emirates, the top-seeded among these nations in men’s senior hockey, recovered and finished in third place thanks to its wins against India (6-0) and the Philippines (8-4). The Philippines beat winless India 11-5 in its last game to earn three points.

Host Malaysia led the scoring stats with three players. Mohammad Hariz Mohammad Oryza Ananda was the scoring leader and MVP with 11 goals and 7 assists followed by Nurul Nizam Deen Versluis (7+10) and Chee Ming Bryan Lim (6+7), the team captain who was named Best Forward.

“Our team is strong because we all have faith in each other including our coaches and team managers. Every single one of us is attached by this unbreakable bond that we would normally call it brotherhood. Every individual in our team made sacrifices in their own personal life to contribute to the family and that only grew our trusts towards each other even stronger. If one of us has trouble, all of us as a team will help out,” the captain described the reason behind Malaysia’s success.

Philippines defenceman Benjamin Jorge Imperial was the best non-Malay scorer with six goals and four assists and was named Best Defenceman of the tournament. Andrei Trishkin (Kyrgyzstan), Mohamed Al Mehairbi (UAE), Ersultan Mirbed Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) and Islambek Abdyrayev (Kyrgyzstan) followed with nine points. Tsewang Dorjay was India’s dominating player upfront with six goals and eight points.

Abdulrahman Al Hosani from the United Arab Emirates was named Best Goaltender. The Emirati were second-best in goaltending efficiency behind Malaysia in the team stats. Al Hosani had a save percentage of 84.43. That statistic was led by Malaysia’s Shahrul Ilyas Abdul Shukor with 97.56.

The event was the last IIHF tournament before the beginning of the holiday season. The 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, USA, begins on 26th December.

Click here for scores and stats.

MARTIN MERK

Russia wins on home ice

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MOSCOW – Host Russia won the last big men’s senior tournament before the 2018 Olympic Winter Games with the six-team Channel One Cup in Moscow.

With Canada ambitious to test its European-based players, the event was extended to six teams like the Karjala Tournament in Helsinki once month earlier with the addition of Canada and Olympic host Korea.

However, it was the four traditional “Euro Hockey Tour” nations that occupied the top-four spots in Moscow with the hosts leading the way thanks to a clean record of three regulation-time wins.

It didn’t start that well though at the VTB Ice Palace that was built for the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Fredrik Pettersson gave Sweden the lead in the countries’ first game but Russia fought back and Sergei Kalinin tied the game in the first period before Vyacheslav Voinov in the second and Nikita Gusev with a penalty shot in the third period made it a 3-1 victory.

In a much-anticipated game by the sell-out crowd of 12,680 fans Russia blanked Canada 2-0 on Saturday. The Canadians, many of them from clubs in the Russian-based KHL, dominated the game for two periods and had a 38-20 shot-on-goal advantage during 60 minutes. However, Vasili Koshechkin had a strong night in the net and in the third period Nikita Nesterov broke the deadlock with his power-play goal before Sergei Plotnikov scored the second goal for Russia.

The Czechs also started with two wins, 3-2 in overtime against Finland in a game that was played in front of 16,227 fans in Prague before settling over to Moscow, and 4-1 against Canada. On Sunday a 4-1 win against Sweden meant the Czechs were leading with eight points and Russia would need a regulation-time win in the last game of the tournament against Finland to claim the tournament win. A strong start with goal from Sergei Andronov and Maxim Shalunov gave Russia the sought-after cushion in a 3-0 win. Valeri Nichushkin scored the last goal with 17 seconds left into the empty net.

The lost point in the overtime win on the opening day cost the Czechs the tournament win who had to settle for second place and had the top-four point scorers of the tournament with Martin Erat (2+3=5), Vojtech Mozik (2+2=4), Martin Ruzicka (3+0=3) and Michal Repik (3+0=3).

Finland, Sweden and Canada followed in the standings with each having earned one victory in three games. Newcomer Korea, which for the first time played a tournament at this level, finished in last place. Their tightest game was a 4-2 loss against Canada on the first day after a first-period 2-1 lead thanks to two goals from Sangwook Kim before the Canadians turned the game with second-period markers from Marc-Andre Gragnani and Wojtek Wolski.

Russia’s Koshechkin was named Best Goaltender of the tournament after a 98.36 save percentage from his two starts against Sweden and Canada. Ilya Sorokin played Russia’s last game earning a shutout. His teammate Voinov was named Best Defenceman and the Best Forward award went to Korean player Kisung Kim.

For Russia it was a “double win” during the weekend as their B squad played at the MECA Hockey Games where they beat host Norway 4-3 in overtime, Slovakia 3-2 in overtime and France 3-1. Defenceman Mikhail Naumenkov was the top scorer for his team with three points (2+1). Slovakia’s Tomas Surovy (1+3) and Andrej Kudrna (3+0) led the tournament in scoring. Norway’s Olimb brothers Mathis (2+1) and Ken Andre (1+2) also notched three points.

Slovakia finished the events in second place thanks to wins against France (4-2) and host Norway with Kudrna notching the shootout winner after a scoreless game. Host Norway was third while France didn’t earn any points.

Two back-to-back games were played in Belarus where the hosts blanked Kazakhstan 3-0 before winning the second match 2-1 after a Viktor Turkin overtime goal.

MARTIN MERK

Russian women impress in Finland

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Russia’s women tuned up for their Olympic campaign with victory in a five-nation Pre-Olympic tournament in Finland over the weekend.

Alexei Chistyakov’s team won three out of four games in Rauma, only losing out in a dead rubber against the host nation on the final day.

The Red Machine made short work of Sweden in its opening game, easing to a 4-1 victory after Valeria Pavlova scored twice in the first six minutes. Pavlova went on to finish with three goals in the tournament, second only to Sweden’s Hanna Olsson in the scoring charts.

Next, Chistyakov’s team recorded a 3-1 success over Germany before a tight battle against Japan was decided by Nina Pirogova’s second-period goal. The Finns, defeated by Sweden earlier in the competition, needed a regulation-time win over Germany to keep the tournament alive going into the final day’s play, but tied 2-2 before claiming a shootout success.

That didn’t stop the host picking itself up and blanking Russia in the final game of the tournament. A shutout from Noora Raty and a lively performance from the Finnish offence secured a 3-0 victory with goals from Michelle Karvinen, Linda Valimaki and Noora Tulus. That gave Finland second place overall, with Sweden one point further back in third. Germany’s shootout win over Japan helped to condemn the Japanese to last place in the group.

Olsson topped the scoring with 6 (4+2) points, ahead of Pavlova. Finland’s Jenni Hiirikoski also picked up four points, while Karvinen got three from just two games.

Olympic preparations will continue in December for Russia and Japan: the two nations are set to play a pair of exhibition matches in the Far East on 24 and 25 December.

Switzerland, inspired by goalie Florence Schelling, enjoyed an impressive victory in a Four Nations tournament in the Czech Republic. The Swiss gave up just one goal in three games, with Schelling repelling 96.43% of the shots she faced as her team showed its strength ahead of February’s action in Korea.

Switzerland began with a 2-0 win over Norway thanks to goals from Alina Muller and Evelina Raselli. Three first period goals set up a 4-0 victory against France in the second game, and it wasn’t until early in the second period of game three that Schelling was finally beaten. Klara Hymlarova scored for the Czechs, but could not prevent a 3-1 loss. Muller finished the event with three goals from three games, Laura Benz had 1+2 and Phoebe Staenz contributed a trio of assists.

The other three nations, none of which will be involved in Korea, proved evenly matched and finished the tournament tied on three points. Norway enjoyed the biggest win, shooting down the Czechs 5-2 with Andrea Dalen contributing 1+2. But it also suffered a 3-1 loss against France, with Emmanuelle Passard scoring twice as the French recovered from losing an early goal.

The home team enjoyed its only victory of the event on the opening day, edging France 2-1. Alena Polenska snapped a 1-1 tie midway through the third period; Hymlarova had an assist on the winning goal.

ANDY POTTS

Rasanen making strides

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It’s not hard to spot Eemeli Rasanen on the ice. At six-foot-seven and 225-pounds the hulking Finnish blue liner already has NHL size.

Now, as he looks to represent Finland at the upcoming IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect is trying to round out his skating in an effort to take his game to the next level.

After a summer of working with Maple Leafs skating development consultant, Barb Underhill, Rasanen has already seen an improvement in his footwork.

“For sure. It’s a way easier game now,” he said. “Probably the most important thing is getting on one leg.”

The 18-year-old’s work with Underhill is not complete – the Maple Leafs have sent the former world champion figure skater out to Kingston, where Rasanen plays with the Ontario Hockey League’s Frontenacs, in an effort to get more work in.

Kingston coach Jay Varady has already seen an improvement in Rasanen through the first two months of the regular season.

“I think skating and his defending (have improved),” Varady said. “I think he’s made a big step that way. He’s able to play against every team’s top line every night. We ask him to do that night-in, night-out. That’s hard for a big guy. The other thing he’s able to do is just eat more minutes.”

Through the first 28 games of the season Rasanen has three goals and 22 points – leading his team’s defencemen in scoring. He’s also amongst the top 20 in league scoring for blue liners.

The native of Joensuu represented his country at the 2017 Hlinka Memorial Tournament registering one assist in four games. Earlier he was part of the silver medal-winning Finnish team at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship last spring where he had one goal in six games.

Over the summer he also suited up for Finland at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan. The Maple Leafs’ 2017 second-round pick is now hoping to wear his country’s colours again in Buffalo in December.

“Of course (World Juniors is) the goal,” Rasanen said. “(Summer showcase) was fun, it was really nice skating there and it’s always nice representing my country.”

At summer showcase Rasanen was able to learn from legendary Finnish defenceman Sami Salo, who is now an assistant coach with the junior national team.

“He helped me getting my shot through (from the point) and with the little things too so he really helped me,” said Rasanen. “Of course I’ve been watching his highlights, he has a nice shot.”

Rasanen, who tries to model his game after Buffalo Sabre Rasmus Ristolainen, admittedly needed time last season to adjust to the North American style of play after spending time playing in the top junior league in Finland.

“Last year he came over, first time in North America, different size rink, the level of play (was different),” said Varady. “Probably took him a little while getting used to it. I think that’s probably why you saw his growth last year. Now his comfort level coming back, was at the world junior camp with Finland – just confidence for a young kid that he builds on.”

Kingston has liked the growth they’ve seen in the blue liner thus far. He’s played both the right and left side this season and was named to the club’s leadership group as an alternate captain.

“I’m getting more confidence on the blue line,” Rasanen said. “When I have the spot to be physical, I want to be physical. It’s nice to be a leader. That’s what I’ve always wanted to be. Stephen Desrocher last year was our captain, he was really good and (Juuso) Valimaki was good too.”

As Rasanen looks to take the next step in his career, and earn a contract from the Maple Leafs, he’ll need to continue to work on his speed and skating, according to Varady.

“When you look at big players a lot of times it’s just their skating,” Varady said. “It takes a player of that size a little longer to develop, to get his legs under him and his skating. For me, just his decisions with the puck (needs to improve), but I think right here in the OHL is a great place to do all those things.

“I think it’s just a little bit of everything. It’s a big body to move around the ice. His speed, his agility, his transition skating – all things that I think every player at this level needs to improve on to play at the next level ‘cause the game’s so fast.”

DHIREN MAHIBAN

From Brest to Buffalo

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Belarus is back in the top division at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo and the team is looking to stay there.

After having been relegated from the 2016 tournament, they earned their way back via the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division I Group A and are now back in the elite pool. It’s likely not going to be an easy trek for the Eastern European nation in Buffalo, but Belarus will fight to the best of their ability, and because of this are always capable of pulling off a big upset. Just ask Sweden.

The Belarusians are going to be looking at players like Maxim Sushko with North American experience to be their offensive dynamos and put pucks in the net if Belarus wants to get points off the bigger nations. Sushko, an 18-year-old right winger, was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in the fourth round (107th overall) and is the one can’t-miss player on this year’s Belarusian squad.

Maxim hails from Brest, a city of 340,000 situated at the Belarusian border with Poland, at the junction of the Mukhavets and Bug River. After growing up with his local HK Brest program, Sushko came over to the OHL at the beginning of the 2016/17 campaign and joined the Owen Sound Attack. In his rookie season he notched 32 points in 54 games, and added 11 points in 17 playoff games. This season, Sushko is producing at double the rate as the year prior with 26 points in 28 games so far at the Christmas break.

Scouts say that Sushko is a dynamic offensive minded right winger with solid size and lightning quick speed. He analyzes his options very quickly in his mind when out on the ice and constantly makes good decisions with the puck. There is potential that if Sushko continues with his strong development in juniors that he could one day play in the NHL and join fellow countrymen Mikhail Grabovski, Andrei Kostitsyn and Sergei Kostitsyn, as offensive minded players who succeeded in the NHL from Belarus.

Belarus opens their World Junior campaign on Boxing Day against Sweden. They also have Switzerland, Russia, and the Czech Republic to deal with in a very tight Group B.

We asked Maxim Sushko some questions.

How did you get into hockey and at what age?

I practised gymnastics and my father’s friend invited him and me to watch hockey when I was seven years old. We liked watching hockey and the next day we went to the shop and bought all the equipment.

How was it growing up in the Belarusian hockey system?

We didn’t have a really good hockey system. I played all of my young career with two or three years older players.

Describe your playing style.

Two-way forward.

How are you enjoying your time playing in the OHL with Owen Sound?

I enjoy playing in Owen Sound. It’s a really good team with great coaches, and a good chance to improve my game here.

What did it mean to you when you became drafted by the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers? And is that why you are currently playing in North America?

It was my dream. And when the dream became reality, it was amazing. Yes, I want to improve my game here.

Are you excited by the chance of representing your country at the World Juniors?

Yes, it’s a really good chance to show for the world that Belarus is a hockey country and we can play against the best national teams.

What are some of the goals you and your team hope to achieve at the tournament?

We want to show our best game at this tournament and get points off the top teams.

How do you see the national team moving forward? Are their many good young players in the country that are going to make a difference going forward?

I think the Belarusian national team is moving forward. Now we have a good system and it’s going to help young guys improve and develop their game.

FAVOURITES:
NHL Player: Nikita Kucherov
NHL Team: Philadelphia Flyers
Childhood Idol: Pavel Datsyuk
Video Game: FIFA
Movie: Suicide Squad
TV Show: Suits
Pump Up Song: Pick It Up (feat. ASAP Rocky)
Home-Cooked Meal: Curd Pancakes
Activity Away From The Rink: Reading books, hangout with the boys, and watch TV Shows

Hard work pays for Moverare

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Playing for the Swedish U20 national team at the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship is a goal for Jacob Moverare he has been working on.

The Mississauga Steelheads defenceman already has international experience on his resume having played at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship previously. He was also a part of the Swedish squad at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan in August.

“You learn a lot,” Moverare said of his past international experience. “You play against the best players in the world basically so you learn a lot. When the national team picks you, then it’s like all your hard work pays off a little bit.”

Playing for Sweden’s Under-20 team in Buffalo would mean an opportunity to play alongside top prospect Rasmus Dahlin. The 17-year-old defenceman is expected to be the first overall pick at June’s NHL Draft.

“That would be really cool. He’s an unbelievable player,” Moverare said. “I think his skating and hockey sense are just like off the chart. He’s just good at everything basically.”

Through his first 22 games of the season in Mississauga, Moverare has one goal 18 points while being partnered with Vegas Golden Knights prospect Nicolas Hague.

The decision to move his game from Sweden where he played part of the 2015/16 season with HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League to Canada was a request made by the L.A. Kings, who selected Moverare in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL Draft.

“L.A. kind of wanted it,” Moverare said. “They told me, ‘If we draft you, we’d like you to play in the OHL’ and growing up I’d heard of the OHL and seen a couple of Swedish players come here.

“I talked to (Gustav) Bouramman before (coming) just like how it is. He just said good things. He said it was just like junior NHL basically.”

After a rookie OHL season, which saw the six-foot-two, 198-pound blue liner register 32 points in 63 games, Moverare feels better adjusted to the North American-style of play.

“Obviously I feel more comfortable earlier in the year,” said Moverare. “Everything goes faster and you’ve got to go north-south with the puck because in Europe you can turn around and start again, but the ice is smaller here.”

In addition to the summer tournament, Moverare also spent the summer attending his second training camp with the L.A. Kings – another opportunity for the 19-year-old to learn about the NHL game.

“Just being a pro, I think,” Moverare said of what he learned. “You see all the guys there and how they do things every day. Just looking at the guys makes you see how professional they are and how you have to be to play in that league.”

His time at the Kings camp also gave him a chance to learn from NHL blue liners.

“(Drew) Doughty is really good, but I wouldn’t say we’re really the same type of player. I like to watch Jake Muzzin, I like his game,” said Moverare. “He’s really good defensively, but can also help a bit offensively. He’s a really good two-way defender.”

Moverare, whose last name is of Belgian descent, grew up idolizing Swedish hall of famer Nicklas Lidstrom, but admits it’s hard to replicate his game.

New Jersey Devils rookie sensation Jesper Bratt got to know Moverare during their time together with the junior national team and says the blue liner’s smarts is what sets him apart.

“He’s a pretty big D and he’s very, very skilled,” said Bratt. “He’s always in the right spot, he has great hockey IQ and he’s very good in both zones - so he’s very good defensively and offensively.

“He’s always in the right spot and he’s always hard to play against.”

Bratt, who likely would’ve played at the 2018 World Juniors had he not made the Devils line-up out of training camp, is looking forward to watching a couple of friends participate in Buffalo.

“Lias Andersen is going to be a very important for the whole Swedish team,” he said. “I think Fredrik Karlstrom, one of my best buddies from back home, we’ve known each other since I was 3-years-old - I think he’s going to be a very important player for the Swedish team too. He’s pretty skilled and a strong, big guy. Usually a great player to find the back of the net so hopefully he’s going to do that a lot of times and I’m going to enjoy watching him.”

Sweden enters this year’s tournament riding an impressive 40-game win streak in the round robin portion of the Under-20 event dating back to 31 December 2006. However, in that time the “Junior Crowns” have just one gold medal win and have not medalled since winning silver at the 2014 tournament.

“The Swedish team always has a high expectation,” said Bratt. “They’re always going for the gold medal and they’re going to do the same this year. I think the whole Swedish team and all the staff is ready to take a new step and take the gold medal this year.”

DHIREN MAHIBAN

Guide & Record Book 2018

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ZURICH – The new edition of the IIHF Guide & Record Book is here and can now be ordered on IIHF.com. It can soon also be bought at the World Juniors in Buffalo and on Amazon.

Familiar territory

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Roger Hunt first got to know Nico Gross last year when the Swiss U20 national team set up its camp in Oshawa in preparation for the 2017 World Juniors.

Hunt, the general manager of the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals, saw a player who fit the Canadian Hockey League style of play and believed the blue liner could have success in North America.

“He’s a real good skater,” said Hunt. “I think he’s got an offensive side to his game, he plays a lot more North American style. He plays with quite about of heart – that was a welcome thing to see too when he got here.”

Hunt and the Generals used the 40th overall selection in the first-round of the 2017 CHL Import Draft to select Gross in June. After a bought of mononucleosis, which Gross picked up while representing Switzerland at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament, he made the move to the OHL and made his Generals debut on 29th September.

Previously he has spent his junior career with St. Moritz and Zug and spent last season with Zug’s farm team EVZ Academy in the second senior league while representing Switzerland in IIHF play both at the World Juniors and the U18 World Championship.

“I think he wanted to come [to Oshawa] and it was just a case of we presented it like, ‘Hey it’s a great place to play and I think our team is in a good spot and you’ll get lots of exposure’. That’s probably what he wanted,” Hunt said of convincing Gross to join the club. “I think there may have been a level of comfort because he’d seen the place. He spent 10 days in the city and everything else.”

Gross has three goals and five assists through his first 29 games with the Generals and is fourth amongst OHL rookie defencemen in scoring. The 185 cm (6’1”), 83-kilo (183-pound) defenceman admitted spending time in Oshawa last year helped with the transition.

“My agent talked to me and asked me if I wanted to come to Oshawa and then I thought about it – it’s such a great organization, such a great team in the OHL,” he said. “I just saw the building and yeah that helped for sure.”

Gross also had the help of his former national junior teammate, Nico Hischier, the first overall selection at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Hischier spent the 2016/17 season with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Halifax Mooseheads before joining the New Jersey Devils this season. He will therefore miss the World Juniors in Buffalo.

“I just told him it’s great to play overseas (in North America) just to see how the life is over here and all the games are here and it’s a great experience,” Hischier said. “If you have the chance, you’ve got to do it.”

Growing up Gross was an avid skier and also played football when he wasn’t playing hockey. But once he decided to pursue hockey seriously, everything else took a back seat.

“I wasn’t skiing for the last two years,” he said. “It was really clear for me, hockey. I had the most fun playing hockey. It’s my favourite sport. I love to play it and I’m living to play hockey.”

Gross, who grew up in Pontresina, Switzerland, near the Italian border, speaks a little Italian, but says he never vacationed in the country.

The move to the OHL has been an adjustment on and off the ice for the 17-year-old. Pontresina is a town with a population of 2,100 and though he played in Zug last season with a population of 28,000, his new home in Oshawa has over 162,000 residents.

“It’s much bigger than my hometown, my city,” said Gross. “I lived in a really small town with like 2,000 people. Then I went to another town the last two years, there was like 20,000 people – a little bit bigger.”

On the ice, the offensive-minded defenceman tries to model his game after Nashville Predators captain and fellow countryman Roman Josi.

“I like his offensive game, I like how he joins the rush, I like how he plays,” said Gross. “The North American game is way different, it’s way more physical here, it’s faster on the smaller rink. It’s a little bit different, but I like it.”

Gross has worn the Swiss national colours multiple times appearing at the Ivan Hlinka Under-18 Tournament in 2016 and 2017. He was also the second-youngest player to participate at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship after Sweden’s Rasmus Dahlin.

With another opportunity to represent his country just around the corner at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, Gross recalled the quarter-final game from last year’s tournament where Switzerland nearly upset the U.S. thanks to two goals from Hischier.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “It was really close in the last game, but we lost.”

Gross also came to North America with the hopes the exposure would help him in his NHL Draft season. On November’s ‘Players to Watch’ list compiled by NHL Central Scouting, Gross received a ‘B’ rating.

Though he’s not interested in talking about the NHL Draft process, his teammates see his potential.

“He’s a really good defender,” said Hischier. “He steps into the offence really good and then has a good shot, good body position and a really good stick.”

DHIREN MAHIBAN

Pre-event

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Find here a list and scores of exhibition games prior to the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Ice Times

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The holidays are upon us and so too is the international hockey season, kicking off with the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. In this issue we profile the newest induction class to the IIHF Hall of Fame, recap the results from December's Under-20 tournaments, and preview the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship. 
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