IIHF News

Denmark edged Belarus 3-2 in a shootout to sweep their best-of-three relegation series on Thursday at KeyBank Center.

Denmark will return to the elite division for the fifth consecutive year at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship in Canada (Vancouver and Victoria). Half the team is eligible to play there.

I’m happy about it and I’m also proud, said Denmark's Daniel Nielsen. "It’s good for my country. It’s so nice to see our country, when we are so little, that we can stay in the [elite division] and keep fighting with the other teams in the top 10. It’s awesome."

Battling through a spate of injuries and illness, the Danes blew a 2-0 third-period lead in Game Two, but Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup got the shootout winner, and Andreas Grundtvig and Jonas Rondbjerg, with the final shootout tally, also converted.

I tried that move a few times in practice and it worked out, said Rondbjerg of his high backhand tally, which prompted a wild celebration. "So I just thought I’d do the same. Lucky it went in."

In regulation, team points leader Rondbjerg had a goal and an assist, and Nielsen also scored. Joachim Blichfeld, who left midway after being injured, added two assists. Shots favored Belarus 30-28.

Captain Maxim Sushko led the way with a goal and an assist for Belarus, and Ilya Litvinov had the other goal.

It’s so hard right now, said Sushko. "In my head there are only bad Russian words right now. It’s life and it’s really tough for us."

The Danes heartstoppingly won Game One 5-4 on two third-period goals at 19:26 and 19:45.

Newly promoted Belarus competed hard in this tournament, especially in losses to Switzerland (3-2) and the Czech Republic (6-5). However, the Belarusians have only avoided relegation twice in their World Junior history (2001, 2002), and their strong power play and penalty kill weren't enough to save them in Buffalo.

I enjoyed playing here against Sweden and Russia, said Sushko. "It’s so much better than playing against Germany and Latvia. I can’t say the other teams are worse, but I just enjoyed playing against the best teams."

Even though Danish captain Christian Mathias-Wesje returned after a one-game suspension and Schmidt-Svejstrup after being ill, two other players sat out: forward Nikolaj Krag (concussion, for the second straight game) and defenceman Christian Larsen (illness).

Denmark didn't make life easy on itself. Just four seconds in, Nielsen was sent off for high-sticking. But the Danes weathered the early storm, and the assistant captain redeemed himself by opening the scoring at 10:47. Following a faceoff in Belarus’s end. Blichfeld centered the puck from behind the goal line to Nielsen, who tallied from the slot.

Less than two minutes later, Denmark went up 2-0 when Blichfeld’s bad-angle release from the left side squeezed past Belarus starter Andrei Grishenko and Rondbjerg poked the puck across the goal line.

Our coach told us before every game that we have to play all 60 minutes every game, said Sushko. "But it looked like we were not playing in the first period."

Belarus called its timeout and pulled Grishenko, who’d been fighting the puck, in favor of backup Dmitri Rodik. Rodik did his best to keep Belarus in it, stoning Grundtvig – the Game One hero with the last-minute winner – and Philip Schultz on close-range chances before the first period ended.

The Belarusians didn’t surrender in the second period. At 6:40, slippery forward Ivan Drozdov drew a penalty when he got to the Danish net on a partial breakaway and was stopped by Kasper Krog.

Belarusian defenceman Dmitri Deryabin drilled Blichfeld into the boards with a dangerous hit and received a five-minute major for boarding and a match penalty at 10:45.

There was a long delay and a hush fell over the spectators as paramedics took the 19-year-old forward off on a stretcher. It was an unfortunate tournament conclusion for the prospect of the San Jose Sharks, who currently have Danish veterans Mikkel Boedker and Jannik Hansen on their roster. Blichfeld gave a thumbs-up as he left.

We played together at the last World Juniors too, said Rondbjerg. "We knew each other before. He’s a really good player. We had good connections. It’s sad to see him lying down on the ice and carried out. Hopefully it’s not too bad."

Deryabin's punishment nullified a Belarusian power play, but after a 4-on-4 sequence, the Danes couldn't cash in with a 5-on-4 for 1:39.

In the third period, Belarus had a monumental chance to get back in the game with a 5-on-3 for 1:14, as Nielsen went off for boarding and Rasmus Heine for elbowing. They took full advantage with two goals.

Power play quarterback Vladislav Yeryomenko and Sushko played catch before the Belarus captain broke Krog's shutout bid, converting from the side of the net at 8:64.

The tying goal, just 46 seconds later at 5-o-4, was a thing of old Soviet-school beauty, as Sushko fed Viktor Bovbel down low and he centered it to Ilya Litvinov, who made no mistake.

In overtime, Denmark used its timeout when it got a power play, as Yeryomenko was called for tripping up Rondbjerg. However, the Danes failed to capitalize on their chances. Drozdov feinted past the Danish defence for a nice chance with 30 seconds left in overtime, but Krog foiled him.

When we were in Grand Forks two years ago for the U18, we lost in a shootout, Schmidt-Svejstrup recalled. "We got relegated. That wasn’t a great feeling, letting down the guys who were coming up. But obviously winning is the most fun in the world. It’s great."

After the game, Belarus's three best players of the tournament were honored: Vladislav Yeryomenko, Ivan Drozdov, and Maxim Sushko. For Denmark, it was Jeppe Mogensen, Jonas Rondbjerg, and Joachim Blichfeld.

Asked when Belarus would earn promotion back to the elite division, Sushko unhesitatingly said: "Next year."

Denmark will make history in May as it hosts the senior IIHF World Championship for the first time (Copenhagen and Herning). Whether any of these U20 players participate in that tournament remains to be seen. After all, there are currently seven Danes in the NHL and five in the KHL, not to mention other top European leagues.

However, coach Olaf Eller’s boys have done what they had to do to keep their country among the world’s elite at this level. "It means everything," Rondbjerg said. "That’s our goal heading into the tournament, to survive. We did that."

LUCAS AYKROYD

No one wanted to play for bronze the day before the game, but on this day the players should be motivated and ready to go.

The U.S. couldn’t get it done against Sweden, and the Czechs were blown out by Canada. These are the facts. Once the players get beyond the disappointment, they can realize that finishing third is a great showing at a world-class tournament.

The History

Although both nations have played in several bronze-medal games, they have never faced each other for third place in the U20, so today adds a bit of history to the World Juniors for them.

The U.S. is 3-5 all time in bronze games while the Czechs are 1-4.

Recent Results

Whether they finish third or fourth, the Czechs will finish higher than at any time since they won bronze in 2005. Regardless, this has been an excellent tournament for them.

The Americans have won seven medals since 2004—four gold and three bronze. This period has been their most successful in U20 history.

Head-to-Head

Since the peaceful separation of Czechoslovakia in the early '90s, the teams have played 21 times. The U.S. holds a slight advantage with 12 wins, a tie, and 8 losses, scoring 70 and allowing 60.

In Buffalo

Playing before the home fans, the U.S. will have both the pressure of “having” to win and the pride of wanting to win.

The top-two scorers will be in this game. American Casey Mittelstadt and Czech Martin Necas both have 10 points to lead all tournament scorers, but the similarities end there.

Mittelstadt is on a team that has four lines that can contribute to the offence. Indeed, a balanced attack is one of the U.S.’s greatest strengths. Kieffer Bellows and Brady Tkachuk are also among the leading scorers, and captain Joey Anderson has chipped in with three goals.

The Czechs rely almost wholly on Necas and linemate Filip Zadina. Zadina is tied with Canada’s Drake Batherson for the tournament goalscoring lead with seven, and as this pair goes, so goes the Czech offence.

Yet, at the end of the day, the U.S. has scored 26 goals so far and the Czechs 24, so both teams have gotten the goals, just in different ways.

Statistically, the Czechs have the better power play, converting 37 per cent compared to 26 per cent for the U.S., but the flip side is equally telling. The Czechs are the most penalized team in the tournament and the Americans among the least.

And, the American penalty killers have allowed just four goals so far while the Czechs have conceded 10. In short, if special teams will play a part in the game, the U.S. has a decided edge (although, strangely, the U.S. has conceded three short-handed goals; the Czechs none).

As for goalies, the two Joes are in recovery mode. Both Joseph Woll and Josef Korenar didn’t have their best games yesterday, but both have been key elements of their team’s success throughout the 2018 U20.

The Czechs have been skating through the tournament under the radar and playing surprisingly well. The Americans are expected to play well and have had several lapses to the contrary, but they have that determination a home team has when playing the runner-up game. It’s theirs to win, but as we have learned in the last two weeks, don’t count the Czechs out.

ANDREW PODNIEKS

As KISS likes to say: “You wanted the best, you got the best!” Canada and Sweden, who won their preliminary round groups, deserve to be facing off for gold.

Every World Junior final in the 2010’s has been a classic, and Friday’s 20:00 showdown at KeyBank Center should be no different.

The Canadians, who settled for silver last year in Montreal in a 5-4 shootout loss to the U.S., are questing for their first gold medal since 2015. The motherland of hockey has cruised through the playoffs with an 8-2 quarter-final demolition of Switzerland and a 7-2 semi-final romp over the Czechs.

“It’s where we wanted to be heading into it, so it’s nice to have that opportunity,” said Canadian captain Dillon Dube after the semi-final. “We played a good game tonight. We’re building every game. We’re going to be at our best tomorrow and hopefully it works out for us.

The only blemish on Canada’s record so far has been another shootout loss to the U.S., 4-3 in the outdoor game on 29 December at New Era Field. Since 1982, Canada has won a record 16 gold medals at this tournament.

Meanwhile, Sweden is unbeaten at these World Juniors and has only required extra time once, in the 4-3 shootout win over Russia on New Year’s Eve.

“We’re a good team,” said starting goalie Filip Gustavsson, who boasts a 1.77 GAA and 92.3 save percentage in five games. “We’re united.”

On paper, it seems incomprehensible that Sweden, with its surfeit of talent, has only won World Junior gold twice, in 1981 and 2012. It has more silver medals (10) than any other nation except Russia (12, including its Soviet Union and CIS teams). Sweden’s last silver came in a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to archrival Finland – with Rasmus Ristolainen potting the winner – on home ice in Malmo.

The Juniorkronorna, who placed fourth at the last three tournaments, are overdue to forge a new golden legacy. They feel they played their best hockey to date in the 4-2 semi-final victory that ended America’s dream of repeating as champions.

“We played against some good teams like Russia and Czech Republic, but we didn't come up that big in those games, so today we showed how good we are,” Gustavsson said afterwards. “The whole team enjoys playing on the smaller ice. There are more opportunities, more bounces off the boards.”

That last Swedish gold also came on North American ice. Most of the Swedish players were only 12 or 13 years old when Mika Zibanejad scored his dramatic 1-0 overtime winner on Russia at Calgary’s Saddledome on 5 January 2012. Top defenceman Rasmus Dahlin, who leads his team with six assists, an average ice time of 23:43 per game, and a +9 plus-minus rating, was 11.

They say you need your best players to be your best players, and that’s exactly what coach Tomas Monten has gotten. Captain Lias Andersson is second overall in goals (6), and third-time World Junior star Alexander Nylander, the active leader in U20 points (28), is tied with Andersson and Elias Pettersson for the team lead in points (7).

There’s a sense that Nylander, a top prospect for the host Buffalo Sabres, could have even more points if he bears down on his chances. Witness the puck the 19-year-old put through U.S. netminder Joseph Woll in the first period of the semi-final but couldn’t get over the goal line.

The Swedes must bear down against the tournament’s most turbo-charged offense. Canada is tops with 36 goals and is getting contributions throughout the lineup. For instance, Drake Batherson, a 2017 fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators, notched a hat trick against the Czechs and is tied with Kieffer Bellows and Filip Zadina for the World Junior lead in goals (7). The line of Jordan Kyrou (3-6-9), Sam Steel (4-4-8) and Dube (2-2-4) has been a consistent threat. But the Swedes can’t hope to win simply by shutting down one line.

“They’re a big team, a fast team, a good team,” Jesper Boqvist said of the Canadians.

And Sweden is best-advised to stay out of the penalty box. Scoring two shorthanded goals against the Americans was a nice bonus, but that doesn’t happen every day. Monten’s penalty-killers have been respectable (84.6 percent), but Canada’s been lethal with the man advantage, converting 13 times on 25 opportunities (56.5 percent). Ultra-mobile power play quarterback Cale Makar is the glamor boy of a rock-solid defence, and leads all blueliners in scoring (3-5-8).

Of the key to Canada’s power play success, Dube said: “I think we’re just keeping it simple. Sometimes you can try and overpass. I think for us right now, we’re trying to get pucks to the net and create simple plays. Obviously, on a man advantage, there’s going to be 2-on-1’s all over the ice, and we’re not trying to force through sticks or anything. We’re just shooting the puck.”

In the big picture, the most glaring statistic is this: in seven tries dating back to 1996, Sweden has never beaten Canada in a World Junior playoff game.

Historically, the Swedes are great front-runners. In fact, they’ve never trailed at this tournament. However, they tend to struggle with coming back. If coach Dominique Ducharme’s group gets the early jump, it bodes well for them. However, if the Swedes get up two or three goals and settle into their confident groove, it will be tough – though far from impossible – for Canada to rally.

The last time Canada faced Sweden in the playoffs illustrated the “far from impossible” part. Plenty of familiar faces participated in the 2017 semi-final. Tim Soderlund fed Joel Eriksson Ek for Sweden’s 1-0 goal, and Nylander sent a nice pass to Carl Grundstrom on the 2-1 goal. Both markers came on the rush, and Canadian starting goalie Connor Ingram was pulled in favor of Carter Hart. But Sweden couldn’t hold on and the Canadians rallied for a 5-2 win.

Hart, who was also anointed as the starter last year, has held on to his job this year and has been essentially just as good as Gustavsson, posting a 1.97 GAA and 91.6 save percentage.

After knocking off the Czechs on Thursday, Hart said: “This win is over with now. It’s time to prepare for the real deal. The thing that makes this win sweeter is if we win tomorrow. That’s the only thing that matters.”

The last time Canada faced Sweden for gold was in 2009 in Ottawa. Cody Hodgson and Jordan Eberle led the host nation with three points apiece in a 5-1 victory over a Swedish team that featured Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman on defence. That was Canada’s fifth straight gold medal.

In total, Canada has beaten Sweden in three finals (1996, 2008, 2009). Under the old round-robin format, Canada also won gold twice while Sweden took silver (1993, 1994).

It’s hard to argue that the Canadians aren’t favored to win in this situation, especially with a host of Maple Leaf-clad fans cheering them on at KeyBank Center. They’ve been equal to or better than the Swedes in virtually every statistical category.

However, the Swedes may be a little more battle-tested. Through no fault of their own, they had to face two playoff opponents superior to Canada’s in Slovakia and the United States. It’ll be fascinating to see how they respond in the crucial moments on Friday.

To paraphrase KISS once again, it’s time to find out who’s the hottest hockey team in the world.

LUCAS AYKROYD

Boris Katchouk learned from an early age the importance and significance of representing his country on the international stage.

Katchouk’s mother Yelena Tumanova was an Olympic speed skater and represented the Soviet Union at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary.

Katchouk, who has previously worn the Canadian jersey at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship, is always receiving advice from his mother when it comes to his hockey career.

“She said, ‘You’re living in this country and you’ve got to respect all that’s given to you’,” said Katchouk. “She’s the biggest role model in my life to date. I always pick up tips off her as well.”

It was Tumanova, not surprisingly, who first got Katchouk on the ice. And being the son of parents to immigrated from the Soviet Union, he used Russian Rocket in his Twitter handle, the nickname Pavel Bure was known for.

“She definitely was (my first skating coach),” Katchouk laughed. “I think it was when I was three, I didn’t really like it at first, but she kept pushing me and it was fun.”

Now a prospect of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Katchouk is hoping to help Canada capture gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship for the first time since 2015.

The 19-year-old has three goals and three assists through the first six games of the tournament.

He credits his experience at the U18 Worlds two years ago where he scored a goal and an assist in five games for Team Canada for helping him adjust to the international game.

“Playing with Team Canada, it’s an honour and U18s started it off,” Katchouk said. “Now coming into World Juniors, it’s been an unbelievable experience.”

Following a convincing 7-2 win over the Czech Republic on Thursday, Canada will meet Sweden in today’s gold medal game.

“We’ve got to stick to our game,” said Katchouk. “We’ve just got to stick to what we do best and I think that’ll create momentum for us going into the game.”

Canada last played Sweden at the 2017 World Juniors where they used a 5-2 semi-final victory over the Swedes to earn a berth in the gold medal game. The Canadians eventually fell 5-4 in a shootout to the Americans at the Bell Centre.

Despite the recent history with Sweden, Katchouk says there’s not much they can take from last year’s meeting.

“We can’t look at that, they’re a whole new team this year and we’re just going to bring as much as we can,” Katchouk said. “We’re not even going to worry about any of the players, we’re going to worry about ourselves and that will help us throughout the whole game.”

Drafted in the second round (44th overall) by the Lightning at the 2016 NHL Draft, Katchouk is currently in his fourth season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds where he registered 27 goals and 45 points in 30 games before joining Team Canada last month.

The six-foot-three, 190-pound forward credits playing lacrosse while growing up for helping him put the puck in the net at the OHL level.

“One big thing that lacrosse taught me was hand-eye coordination,” he said. “I think I brought that into my hockey game so far.”

World Junior gold isn’t the only the on Katchouk’s mind. With his Soo Greyhounds currently in the middle of a 24-game stretch without a regulation loss and reportedly in the mix to acquire his Canadian teammate Taylor Raddysh from the Erie Otters, Katchouk is hoping for a lengthy OHL playoff run as well.

“It’s huge, our team is rolling right now and I can’t wait to get back there,” Katchouk said.

DHIREN MAHIBAN

Trent Frederic's four goals led the U.S. to a 9-3 bronze medal victory over the Czechs on Friday. It's the third straight U.S. World Junior medal.

"You want to sit in your room and feel sad, but you’ve still got another game," said Frederic. "You still want to win a medal and that’s what we did."

Kieffer Bellows scored twice and added an assist, and captain Joey Anderson had a goal and an assist. Ryan Poehling and Patrick Harper chipped in singles.

Bellows, who leads the World Juniors in goals, set a new U.S. single-tournament record (nine), surpassing Jeremy Roenick’s mark (eight in Anchorage, Alaska in 1989). The all-time record belongs to Sweden's Markus Naslund (13 goals, 1993).

"That’s something that’ll go down in history," said Poehling. "To beat someone so elite, with that name, Jeremy Roenick, he should be proud of himself. That’s a pretty special moment for him."

The U.S. won bronze in 2016 and gold in 2017. This doesn't make up for not repeating, but it's still a worthy success on home ice under head coach Bob Motzko.

It's the sixth American bronze medal of all time. The previous ones were 1986, 1992, 2007, 2011, and 2016. Year after year, USA Hockey remains a rising force.

"These medals are very hard to get in this tournament," said Motzko. "USA Hockey's in a great spot. They really are."

U.S. goalie Jake Oettinger started for the first time since the 4-3 outdoor shootout win over Canada on 29 December. In the 4-2 semi-final loss to Sweden, he relieved Joseph Woll, who did not dress for the bronze game. Third-stringer Jeremy Swayman got his opportunity.

Radovan Pavlik had a goal and an assist for the Czechs, and Martin Kaut and Daniel Kurovsky also scored. Petr Kodytek had two assists.

Before the game, two questions stood out. Would the Americans, hailing from a country with a gold-or-bust mentality, be invested in the outcome? And could the Czechs tighten up enough defensively and get enough production to compete?

The answers were “Absolutely” and “Nope.”

It was a disappointment for the Czech Republic, whose U20 program has been rebuilding for years. After losing 7-2 to Canada in the semi-finals, top sniper Filip Zadina looked forward to the bronze showdown: “We will die on the ice.” But that occurred differently than he intended.

"We wanted to be better but we didn't," said Zadina. "In the semi-final and tonight, there's a reason we lost. At least we scored three goals in the third, but they got a goal on our power play in the first, which wasn't good. Fourth is good for the Czech Republic now, but we wanted to bring home a medal."

The Czechs allowed 16 goals in their last two games and that's no way to succeed.

The last time the Czechs medaled was a 3-2 overtime win over the U.S. for bronze at the 2005 World Juniors in Grand Forks, North Dakota. (Petr Vrana notched the winner at 2:38.) Nonetheless, fourth is the best Czech finish since ‘05, and that means something. With upset wins over Russia and Finland in Buffalo, they have much to be proud of.

It took the Czechs more than 12 minutes to register their first shot on goal, but then they picked up their tempo as first-period shots favored the U.S. 12-8.

With just four seconds left in the first, Frederic opened the scoring shorthanded. He capitalized on Kaut’s turnover at the U.S. blue line and got a breakaway, sliding the puck past Czech starter Josef Korenar for his second goal of the tournament.

"Any time you put the puck in the net, it’s obviously a good time," said Frederic. "It’s fun. We were having fun out there. It was a tough loss yesterday. We came back and I thought we responded well."

The Americans started the second period with another shorthanded goal. Anderson grabbed the puck behind the net on the forecheck and centered it to Poehling, who made it 2-0 at 0:09.

"We were on the PK and we drew that play up before," said Poehling. "Scotty [Perunovich], the D-man, just suggested it and we ended up doing it. It somehow worked out. We were all laughing about it. It was a good play all around. I was surprised I was so open in front."

It was ironic since America’s hopes of repeating as champion for the second straight year were sunk by two Swedish shorthanded goals in the 4-2 semi-final loss.

At 4:18, Anderson gave the U,S. a three-goal lead when Tkachuk’s centering pass bounced in off his skate. The Czechs yanked Korenar in favor of Jakub Skarek, but it was too late to make a difference.

"Getting the lead was huge for us, and then the big second period, we just kept running with it," said Anderson.

Things went from bad to worse for coach Filip Pesan’s crew. Just 1:34 later, Frederic finished off a nice rush on the backhand to put the Americans up 4-0. After Libor Hajek hauled Bellows down on a breakaway at 7:23, the U.S. assistant captain was awarded a penalty shot, and he went high stick side for a 5-0 lead.

Frederic completed his hat trick at 12:55 with a snipe from the faceoff circle, making it 6-0. However, nobody bothered to throw any hats. With 59 seconds left in the middle frame, Bellows took a drop pass from Josh Norris and zipped home his second of the evening.

"Our players wanted to leave here on a very positive note," said Motzko. "We’re very proud of the effort they put in tonight."

In the third period, the Czechs spoiled Oettinger's shutout bid with two quick goals, one from Chytil on the power play at 0:43 and another from Pavlik through the five-hole 28 seconds later. But no miracle comeback was in the works.

Frederic got his fourth on a Bellows power-play set-up at 5:41. Just over two minutes later, Kurovsky capitailzed on sloppy U.S. play to make it 8-3. Swayman got his first appearance in net with under four minutes left, and Harper rounded out the scoring at 9-3 with 2:50 remaining.

The biggest blowout in bronze-medal history remains Sweden's 11-4 win over Switzerland in Saskatoon in 2010.

"This win was huge," said Bellows. "It sets the stage for next year, for those guys who are returning. It shows how hard this tournament can be. There are so many elite players around the world, and elite teams. It's a huge honor to get a bronze medal. It's not the one we wanted but it's great for USA Hockey."

LUCAS AYKROYD

U.S. forward Casey Mittelstadt was voted the Most Valuable Player of the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship by the media.

The 19-year-old centre from Edina, Minnesota had 11 points for the bronze-medal Americans (4-7-11) to lead the tournament. As a 2017 first-round draft pick (eighth overall) of the Buffalo Sabres, he was a fan favorite at both KeyBank Center and the 29 December outdoor game at New Era Field, where the U.S. beat Canada 4-3 in a shootout.

Mittelstadt was also named Top Forward and a tournament all-star along with fellow American Kieffer Bellows, who led the World Juniors with nine goals. Silver-medal Sweden also had two players receive Directorate Awards and all-star berths: goalie Filip Gustavsson and defenceman Rasmus Dahlin.

Forward Filip Zadina became the first Czech all-star since goalie Petr Mrazek (2012).

Total tournament attendance for 30 games in Buffalo was 211,210.

Directorate Awards

Top Goaltender - Filip Gustavsson (SWE)
Top Defenceman - Rasmus Dahlin (SWE)
Top Forward - Casey Mittelstadt (USA)

All-Star Team and MVP (selected by the media)

Goaltender - Filip Gustavsson (SWE)
Defenceman - Rasmus Dahlin (SWE)
Defenceman - Cale Makar (CAN)
Forward - Casey Mittelstadt (USA)
Forward - Filip Zadina (CZE)
Forward - Kieffer Bellows (USA)

MVP - Casey Mittelstadt (USA)

LUCAS AYKROYD

With the end of the 2018 World Juniors, the proposed groups for the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship in Vancouver and Victoria have been announced.

For the first time since 2006 the World Juniors will go to the Canadian west coast as Vancouver and Victoria in the province of British Columbia will host the event.

Group A with host Canada, the Czech Republic, Russia, Switzerland and Denmark will be played at the 18,910-seat ArenaRogers Arena, the home of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks and venue of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Group B in Victoria includes Sweden, USA, Finland, Slovakia and recently-promoted Kazakhstan and will be played at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. The 7,006-seat rink is home to the WHL’s Victoria Royals.

Packages for the event are already on sale. In Vancouver there’s a full pack with 19 games (18 from the tournament and a Team Canada exhibition game) starting at $650. One group, two quarter-final games, both semi-final games and both medal games will be played in Vancouver.

The full pack for Victoria includes 14 games including 10 preliminary-round games, two quarter-final games and two Team Canada exhibition games starting at $399.

The schedule will be announced at a later date.

More information can be found on the official website of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, 2019.worldjunior.hockey, which is available in English and French.

MARTIN MERK

The day after the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship ends in Buffalo is the day the U18 Women’s World Championship begins in Dmitrov in the Moscow Region.

Russia is hosting the event for the first time in the eleven-year history of the tournament, but all signs point to a United States-Canada gold-medal game. Given that each of the previous ten final games have been contested between these two powerhouses, little is expected to change in Dmitrov, even though host Russia and other teams would be eager to change thiis.

Canada won the WW18 three years running (2012, 2013, 2014), but when Joel Johnson took over as head coach of the Americans, he put together the same hat trick of victories, caped by a 3-1 win over Canada last year in Zlin, Czech Republic. Johnson will be back looking for number four in early 2018.

Canada, meanwhile, has opted for change. Out is coach Troy Ryan and in is former national-team player Delaney Collins. She served as an assistant in 2015 and 2017, but she now has the daunting task of prying gold from the firm grip of the U.S.

Russia beat Sweden, 2-0, to win bronze in 2017, but that team was a veteran team with few players eligible to return in 2018. The same can be said for Sweden, a team that managed to score but six goals in as many games last year.

Finland has had such great success in the senior Women’s Worlds but has managed only a single bronze medal in WW18 history (back in 2011). Last year Suomi finished a disappointing fifth and had only one player in the top 15 of scoring (Petra Nieminen, who also won’t be returning).

The Czech Republic finished 6th last year and, despite a chronic lack of scoring, managed to stay up again (they have never been demoted in WW18 play). Their task won’t be any easier this year, though, as the fight for goals among the third to eighth teams has gotten all the stronger in recent years.

Switzerland avoided demotion by sweeping Japan in the best-of-three relegation round. Indeed, Lisa Ruedi led the tournament in goals with five, although three game in one relegation game. Nonetheless, she’ll be back with the Swiss this year hoping to avoid the elimination round and instead fighting for a medal.

Japan finished eighth last year and will play down in Division I-A this year.

Germany has been exiled to Division I-A for the last four years, but a huge 2-0 win over Slovakia during last year’s lower division battle helped propel the Germans back to the top for the first time since 2013. Franziska Feldmeier had a goal and an assist in that critical game but is now too old to return.

In the end, though, the greatest drama will likely play out among the North Americans, rival in 2008 in the tournament’s first edition, and rivals evermore in 2018 in the eleventh. The difference between winning and losing always seems to be one error, one power play, one blocked shot.

Dmitrov, one of the top cities in Russian women’s hockey, will see some great women’s hockey at the teen level early in the New Year. Check out the tournament website for coverage and a live stream.

ANDREW PODNIEKS

Tyler Steenbergen scored the biggest goal of his life, and Canada won the gold medal by defeating Sweden, 3-1.

Steenbergen had played just 3:17 through two periods, had but four shots in the entire tournament, and had yet to score. In two days he'll turn 20, so he can consider this an early birthday present of the highest quality.

The goal couldn't have happened without Drake Batherson's determined forecheck. His tenacity produced a turnover that led to a superb slap-pass from the point by Connor Timmins. It was deflected in front by Steenbergen, breaking a 1-1 tie and sending Canada on to World Junior gold for the first time since 2015.

"I just about blacked out when it happeend," Steenbergen enthused after. "I'm at a loss for words. And to win it for all the crowd that came out for us was pretty special."

"They made a perfect pass to the player off to the side," Sweden goalie Filip Gustavsson described. "We missed that guy, and he directed it into the goal. I don’t know what I could have done differently."

The win provided a double dose of revenge. One, for erasing terrible memories of the 2011 gold-medal game in Buffalo when the team blew a 3-0 lead in the third period. And two, for erasing more recent memories of a heart-breaking shootout loss to the United States last year in the finals.

Seven players from 2017 won gold tonight: Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Jake Bean, Kale Clague, Dante Fabbro, Michael McLeod, and Taylor Raddysh. As well, coach Dominique Ducharme was there last year, victorious tonight.

"The longer the game went, the more our speed was working and the better we were playing," Ducharme said. "Tyler had a little bit of jump tonight, so I used him more. It worked out pretty well."

"Coming into this tournament, there was a job that needed to be finished," said winning goalie Carter Hart, who was named player of the game for Canada. "Approaching this game today, we approached it with the right mindset. We wanted to make the most of our opportunity."

Canada won despite going 0-for-6 on the power play, which had been its forte all tournament. But the Swedes clearly did their homework before the game and not only neutralized the potent power play but scored short-handed as well.

"We didn't focus too much on not scoring on the power play," defenceman Cale Makar said. "I think the main thing is we got the win. Obviously, it would have been nice to capitalize on some of those chances, and we gave up a short-handed one, but in the end it didn't matter."

"I think everybody just trusted each other," Makar continued. "We knew that even if the power play wasn’t clicking, we could still capitalize five-on-five. I guess that’s how we did it tonight."

On the other side of the ledger, Canada did not incur a penalty for the last 51 minutes of the game. In all, Sweden had 22 PIMs to Canada's 2 (10 of the former going to Oskar Steen for a last-minute misconduct).

For Sweden, the disappointment is bitter. It hadn't won gold since 2012 and finished runner-up in the bronze-medal game for the last three years.

"There’s disappointment as a group that we lost the game," said Timothy Liljegren. "But I’m really proud of all the guys. There were a lot of guys who played with injuries. We gave 100 per cent. We don’t regret anything. It’s all about honour and pride. We just wanted to go out there and play 100 per cent and show all the fans watching in Sweden that we’re a good hockey team."

Lias Andersson, upset by the loss, threw his silver medal in the stands. "I didn’t want it," he said. "The guy in the stands wanted it more than me, so I gave it to him."

The first period proved that you don’t need goals for exciting hockey; you need only skilled players moving freely up and down the ice.

The Swedes didn’t get the start they wanted, though. Without doubt, the first thing on coach Tomas Monten’s checklist of what not to do was to not take penalties. Canada had converted on nearly 60 per cent of all power plays through the first six games, and this was an aspect of the game that might well have decided gold.

That being said, just 3:46 after the opening faceoff, Gustav Lindstrom took an interference penalty. Although Canada had a couple of good chances, Gustavsson stood tall and the danger was averted.

A little later, the Swedes got a power play of their own, to no great effect. The Swedes had more shots in the first—16-9—but Canada had as many decent scoring chances. Both goalies were steady and letter perfect.

Not so in the second. Canada opened the scoring just 1:49 into the period on a couple of great plays by Jordan Kyrou and Dillon Dube. Kyrou brought the puck up ice and slid a nice pass straight ahead to Dube, who was covered by Timothy Liljegren.

Dube managed to fight off the check, control the puck, and then snap a shot over the glove of a surprised Gustavsson, thrilling the massive Canadian crowd of 17,544.

That got both teams going, but the Swedes in particular stepped it up a notch. Defenceman Rasmus Dahlin made several fine rushes, creating some good scoring chances, but Hart was rock solid and square to the shooter on every puck that went his way.

But when Canada went to the power play later in the period, Sweden struck back. Canada's Robert Thomas pinched at the Sweden blue line and Linus Lindstrom and Tim Soderlund bolted up ice on a two-on-two. They criss-crossed inside the Canadian blue line, and Soderlund wired a high shot short side off the post and in at 13:07 to tie the game.

It was Sweden’s third short-handed goal in its last three periods of hockey.

As the third period progressed, shifts got shorter and players more cautious, but there were still moments of offense in what felt like an overtime period. Sweden won a faceoff in the Canadian end, and defenceman Jesper Sellgren ripped a shot off the post behind Hart.

"Any time you're in a game of this magnitude and the score is so close, you get a little cautious. But both teams were pressing a bit as well. We didn't want to go to overtime," Makar said.

A short time later, Boris Katchouk snapped a shot off Gustavsson's shoulder that would have gone in but for the fine save.

Canada came perilously close to winning in regulation on its last power play when Taylor Raddysh tipped a shot off the post, but the puck stayed out, setting the stage for Steenbergen's heroics.

Alex Formenton salted the win with an empty netter 36 seconds later.

"Everyone was just going nuts," said Thomas. "There’s not really words to describe it. We were all just so happy for each other. We fought hard and we had a helluva game. It was something special that I’ll remember forever."

ANDREW PODNIEKS

The 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship has started with a bang. 2,281 spectators saw host Russia beat Canada 3-2. Team USA needed overtime against Sweden; the Czechs and Finns also won. Check the event website for stats, stories, photos and a free live stream.

In a clash between the undefeated teams of Day 1, Team USA edged host Russia 5-3 at the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship. Canada got its first win against Sweden, 4-0, while Germany and Finland won in Group B. Check out the event website for scores, stories, photos and a free live stream.

Taylor Heise is chasing a third gold medal in her final year with Team USA's u18s. And her impressive performances in Dmitrov point to a successful future.

Not many players get to feature in three u18 World Championships. Fewer still get a chance to win a hat-trick of gold medals. But USA captain Taylor Heise is hoping to do just that here in Dmitrov.

The Minnesota native made her WW18 bow in St. Catherine’s, Ontario in 2016, helping Team USA recover from 0-2 down to beat Canada in the final. Then she was back to repeat last January in the Czech Republic before coming to Dmitrov as a stand-out leader on Joel Johnson’s roster.

All along that journey, which continues Tuesday with another match-up against those old Canadian foes as the Americans look to top Group A, she’s been excited about the opportunities to mature into a top performer.

“Being on the national team has definitely helped me develop,” Heise said after her team defeated Russia on Sunday. “I have tried to take something from every other player I’ve been with here.

“In my first year, I just tried to play the role that the coaches wanted from me and really, it’s pretty much the same this year. But I’ve really developed my skills, my shooting and my strength.”

She’s also displayed an impressive maturity, whether dealing with opposing players on the ice or opposing crowds in the tribunes. And the more feverish the atmosphere, the better she likes it. “In my first year I played in front of 5,000 screaming Canadians, and the atmosphere was similar here against Russia,” Heise added. “I like it, it’s super cool and for me personally, it helps me game. I love to see all those people doubting us. As a team, we’re good at just letting it go. We know we’re going to go out and play our game and not let the noise bother us.”

How much impact does she have on the ice? Take Sunday’s game against Russia. It had the look of a banana skin for the Americans, dragged to overtime less than 24 hours before facing a host nation on a high. A fervent crowd in Dmitrov had witnessed a historic victory over Canada in the previous game, and scented the chance of another big scalp. Heise produced a captain’s performance, grabbing an early power play goal to settle any nerves on her team and leading by example at both ends of the ice. For coach Johnson, that’s part of what makes her so special.

“Taylor’s our captain for a reason,” he said. “She plays incredibly well, be that on the power play, on the PK or in 5-on-5. She has great strength, she skates fast, she shoots the puck hard and she’s also a real ‘team first’ player. It’s really exciting to see her playing some of her best hockey here, and it’s fun to watch her.”

That captaincy is a role that Heise relishes. “It’s an amazing honour, and something I always wanted,” she said. “It’s an awesome experience to be able to lead the younger players, and even the older ones. But I’m not the only one. Our leadership group this year is seven or eight people and they really help. They always come in, I like to get their opinions, they like to hear mine, and we make decisions as a group. We’re all there to support each other and I think this year it really helped the team to come together right at the beginning.”

From the first games in Dmitrov, togetherness has been vital in a championship that is bringing more evidence that Europe’s top teams are steadily closing the gap on the USA and Canada, and may threaten to end the North American duo’s stranglehold on gold and silver medals at this level. For Heise, though, it’s a challenge and a motivation, not a cause for concern.

“That gap is definitely closing,” she added. “In my first year it was wide open, but as people develop, the games are getting closer.

“Personally, I love that. I love to play different people and I think everyone benefits when we see all these other countries developing. It makes us want to work even harder than before. Plus, playing all these talented teams is a great experience and it excites me. It’s cool to see that women’s hockey is not just about Canada and the USA.

“I know it might scare some people but it gives us confidence: we see all these other countries getting better, and we know that we have to do that as well.”

Now 17, this is Heise’s last chance to play with the u18s. But it’s set to be the beginning of another story in the senior game.

“I’ve always put myself in the u18s, but now I’ve got a chance at the under-22s,” she said. “I’m just going to work my butt off for that. I’m going to go to the University of Minnesota and I want to just take in everything that I can there.

“In the future, I hope to go to the Olympics, but that’s a long shot right now. I just want to keep working my hardest, trying to take what I can from everyone I’ve played with and give it my best shot.”

ANDY POTTS

It's an unusually tight Group A line-up as the first phase comes to an end in Dmitrov - but Canada is refusing to worry about the prospect of playing a QF.

After two games for each team in Group A, every nation has a chance of progressing directly to a semi-final tie – and every nation is in danger of going into the quarter-final stage. The surprise results of Saturday’s games, when Russia beat Canada and Sweden took the USA to overtime, means that when the North American nations face-off on Tuesday, they will play for a semi-final spot. That’s a big change – usually this match-up is about securing a psychological advantage ahead of the medal games, but this time the loser could well face its first quarter-final engagement under the current tournament format.

Canada is currently in greatest peril. After losing to Russia on Saturday, anything less than a regulation-time victory over the USA would – at best – leave the team dependent on Sweden getting some kind of result against Russia.

From the outside, that makes Tuesday’s North American summit a rather different affair. But within the Canadian camp, the message is ‘business as usual’.

Head coach Delaney Collins was very clear in her assessment of the situation. “That will not change the way we approach the game at all,” she said. “We’re going to play to win, we’re going to focus on our game and be competitive and do our best.

“By no means are we looking beyond that game. We know we want to get better and better as the tournament goes on, so we need to build on this win against Sweden and get ready for the Americans.”

And there are no fears about potentially becoming the first Canadian team to miss out on a top-two finish in the group phase of this tournament.

“If, by chance, we ended up playing in a quarter final, it would be what it is. We would approach it just like any other game, with our best foot forward ready to compete and play our style of hockey.

“If we don’t need to play a quarter-final, we will have the exact same outlook. It is what it is, and I don’t think our girls are are thinking too much about it. They are just thinking about having success going forward.”

That message was echoed by Courtney Kollman, who celebrated her first World Championship goal for Canada during Sunday’s 4-0 victory over Sweden.

“I think we’re just going to go in there and play our hardest like we do every game for our team and our country,” she said. “We’ll stick to our strategies and worry about ourselves and playing our game.”

The permutations

For Team USA, the equation is simple. Anything better than a loss in regulation guarantees a place in the semi-finals. But regulation time wins for Canada and Russia would push the Americans down to third and into a quarter-final.

Russia, currently second by virtue of the head-to-head advantage over Canada, will go the semi-finals with a regulation-time win over Sweden. If the host nation goes to overtime, it must at least match Canada’s result from the afternoon game, while a regulation-time loss would force the Russians into a quarter-final.

Canada will avoid the QF with a regulation victory over the USA. Otherwise, the Canadians will have to hope to better Russia’s result against Sweden.

Sweden can only reach the semi-finals by beating Russia in regulation and hoping that the USA does the same to Canada.

The picture in Group B is already clearer. Finland, with two wins from two, is certain of a quarter-final. Switzerland, beaten in both its games, must prepare for the relegation round. The Czech Republic will join Finland in the QF if it gets any sort of victory against the Finns on Tuesday. A Finnish win, though, could open the door for Germany to take second place in the group by defeating Switzerland and pushing the Czechs into the relegation round.

ANDY POTTS

Another capacity crowd in Dmitrov saw Sweden produce a defensive master-class to snatch a 2-0 victory and leap into second place in Group A in the last game. That means USA and Sweden get a bye to the semi-finals. The quarter-finals will be Canada vs. Czech Republic and Russia vs. Finland. Germany and Switzerland play a best-of-3 relegation round.

Courageous Swedish defence, and two well-taken goals, saw a final twist in the Group A tale as Russia went down to a 0-2 loss against the Tre Kronor.

Anna Amholt halted the Red Machine on the final lap of preliminary round action, making 26 saves to blank the home nation. With first-period goals from Lina Ljungblom and Agnes Wilhelmsson making the difference at the other end, Sweden took the win ... and with it moved from last place to second, booking a semi-final meet-up and earning a rest during tomorrow's QF games.

Another capacity crowd began filling the Ice Palace in Dmitrov more than an hour before the start of Russia’s hotly-anticipated clash with Sweden, and most of them were expecting a home victory and progress direct to the semi-final for the first time.

The Swedes, though, had not come to play the fall guy. With 76 seconds gone, the first shot on Diana Farkhutdinova’s net found its target as Lina Ljungblom put Josefin Bouveng’s pass beyond the Russian goalie. Momentarily stunned, the crowd quickly recovered and redoubled the noise in the hope of inspiring a rapid reply from Russia.

But, as Amholt explained, the atmosphere was never going to be a distraction for the team in yellow. "Once the game starts," she said, "I'm just in that zone. It's great to see so many people, it's fun to be part of it, but it doesn't really affect anything on the ice."

What did have an impact on the ice was Sweden's rock-solid defence, a feature of the team's wor throughout the tournament. Tonight, with a lead to hold onto, plenty of hard work on the blue line provided fantastic protection for Amholt in the Swedish net. Even on Russia’s first power play of the evening, the Red Machine spluttered: no shots on goal in two minutes as Ljungblom sat out a minor.

That set the pattern of the first period, with the teams sharing just nine shots on goal between them. But the Swedes doubled their advantage when they scored from their fourth effort of the frame. Fanny Brolin and Jenny Antonsson harried the Russian D in its own zone before Agnes Wilhelmsson stole in front of Daria Beloglazova to seize the puck and launch a wrist shot into the top corner over Farkhutdinova’s glove.

We tried to focus on our game plan, said Swedish head coach Ylva Martinsen. "We told the players to expect a big crowd, and a lot of people cheering for Russia. It's a situation our players are not used to, but they went out and played their game."

‘Still 40 minutes to go,’ was the word around the arena in the intermission, but the second period saw Sweden’s defensive lock-down continue. Another Russian power play failed to get a shot on Amholt’s net as a tight-knit unit of yellow-clad skaters squeezed the home forwards to the margins, building an imposing wall in front of that goal. It wasn’t until eight minutes into the frame that Daria Beloglazova finally forced a save from Amholt.

The shot count never soared, but the action was absorbing – and increasingly end-to-end. Sweden got a 5-on-3 advantage but could not capitalise, and once the second Russian penalty was seen off, the home team enjoyed a two-player advantage of its own. Again, Sweden got bodies in front of the net to cancel out Russia’s offence and, as Wilhelmsson stepped out of the box to make it an equal-strength game she picked up a loose puck and only a big save from Farkhutdinova denied the Swedes a third goal late in the session.

Russia looked to raise the intensity on offence in the final period, seeing its dream of progressing direct to the last four starting to slip away. But Sweden’s defence remained as resolute as ever, and Amholt once again showed the fantastic form she produced in a valiant rearguard action against the USA. Tempers flared: Oxana Bratisheva and Jenny Antonsson were sent to the bin for roughing as another Russian attack ran into a yellow wall. Meanwhile, the Swedes were still willing to harry down the ice after the puck, and twice tested Farkhutdinova after Brolin and Ljungblom stole possession in dangerous areas.

Yevgeni Bobariko, Russia's head coach, was left to reflect on a good game but a disappointing result before preparing to face Finland in tomorrow's quarter-final.

It was a really good game, he said. "Sweden played incredibly in defence, and we could not get the goals we needed. We tried to change a few things, but it didn't work out. We can't forget that this is a very young team, we have players who were only born in 2003."

Among his players, Ilona Markova tried to articulate her feelings after the loss. "It's hard, but I want to tell myself, deep down, that although we lost this game, it's not the end," she said. "The tournament goes on, and we're still in it."

ANDY POTTS

The play-offs get underway in Dmitrov on Wednesday - and history is in the making. For the first time ever, a European team will play for gold.

The 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship is getting down to the sharp end – and an ebsorbing tournament is set to get even more exciting.

Tuesday’s results, with USA beating Canada and Sweden overcoming Russia, left the Americans top of Group A while Canada propped up the four-team pool. That leaves the Canadians preparing for a QF against the Czech Republic on Wednesday afternoon, with the winner moving on to play the USA in Friday’s semi-final. Previously in this tournament, every single Gold Medal Game has seen the North American rivals face off, while the rest of the world battled for bronze at best.

The other half of the bracket has Sweden awaiting the winner of today’s Russia vs Finland match-up. Yevgeni Bobariko’s team was widely expected to move directly to the semi-finals after winning its opening game against Canada, but came up short in a 0-2 loss against the Swedes as the Tre Kronor snatched second place in the group.

Bobariko cut a frustrated figure after that game. “I don’t want to sum up our tournament so far, because our most important game is coming up,” he said. “I literally only just found who we will play in the quarter-final, so we need to look at the videos, explain to the girls how we should play against Finland and prepare as fully as possible. We’ve already had many tough match-ups with the Finns, they’re a good team.”

Russian forward Ilona Markova was determined to bounce back after the disappointment against Sweden.

“Finland will be another tough opponent, like anyone in this tournament,” she said. “They’re awkward, niggly, and they will fight to the end.

“We need to get together as a team, look at what went wrong and most of all to support each other. The key thing right now is that whatever happens, however hard it is for us, we keep going to the very last.

“We are all here right now because hockey is our passion, it’s what we love. We’re not just here for the fun of it, we’re here because this game means so much to us. Against Finland, we will go out and show it.”

Meanwhile, Canada was left to prepare for its first ever quarter-final. Previously, the Canadians had always earned a bye to the last four in this competition, so it’s an unwelcome excursion into uncharted territory for a team that has contested every Gold-Medal Game in the history of the tournament.

Head coach Delaney Collins, though, is refusing to dwell on any negatives. "We can't be fearful about a quarter-final,” she said. “We have to prepare for it, work on our game and take it as the opportunity that it is. I think the girls are still looking forward optimistically."

The Czechs also confirmed a quarter-final spot in their final game, thanks to a tight 3-2 victory over Finland. Klara Jandusikova, one of the Czech scorers in that game, hopes that the team’s relief at avoiding the relegation round will inspire it to surprise Canada.

“It’s a huge challenge because Canada’s a great opponent,” she told hokej.cz. “But after the Finland game all the girls talked about how we were so nervous, but now we have nothing to lose. Against Canada, we’ll leave everything out on the ice. I want to do everything I can to win that game and I believe that it is possible.”

While four teams continue their quest for medals in Dmitrov, Germany and Switzerland face the start of an anxious battle for survival. The bottom two nations from Group B begin a best-of-three relegation round to decide who will remain for 2019. Germany won the group stage meeting between the teams 2-1, while the Swiss lost all three games so far.

ANDY POTTS

Russia's captain, Alina Orlova, is the second in recent years from Ukhta's Arktik-Universitet club. She told us a little about hockey in Russia's frozen north

Think of Russia’s hockey heartlands, and you tend to think of provincial cities like Yaroslavl or Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk or Kazan, along with the metropolises of Moscow and St. Petersburg. But the little – and little-known – town of Ukhta is staking a claim to become a major centre for the women’s game – as Russia’s u18 captain Alina Orlova knows only too well.

The 17-year-old blue-liner, in her second season with Ukhta’s Arktik-Universitet club, is wearing the ‘C’ at the Women’s U18 World Championship. That puts her in the footsteps of another Universitet graduate, Fanuza Kadirova, who captained Russia in this tournament in 2016 and has since moved up to the senior national team.

Ukhta’s hockey tradition is, perhaps, not the most illustrious. This industrial city of 100,000 people, in Russia’s northern Komi Republic, was the birthplace of 1976 Olympic champion Sergei Kapustin, but his 17-year career was spent entirely in Moscow with CSKA, Krylya Sovietov and Spartak. However, the Arktik-Universitet set-up is out to change all that.

Unusually in Russia, it combines top-level sport with the opportunity to pursue higher education at the city’s Technical University, a part of the prestigious international organisation that comprises the Arctic University. That sport-and-study model is familiar in North America, but far less common in Europe, where college sport is more of a hobby than a career path. As a result, Ukhta is able to attract players from across Russia to play in the Women’s Hockey League, a Russia-wide pro tournament operating under the aegis of the KHL.

“I was actually born in Moscow,” said Orlova, whose playing career also includes junior action with teams in Stupino and the Russian capital. “But I got an invitation to go to Ukhta, went up to have a look at the city and the facilities, and decided to go there. Like everyone on the team I’m also studying. I’m at college just now, specialising in management.”

The chance to play in the so-called ‘Beautiful League’ was an attraction, and after two seasons with Arktik-Universitet, the defender is impressed by the burgeoning hockey scene in her new home town.

“There’s only one professional sports team in the town, which is our Arktik-Universitet,” Orlova said. “I’m not sure if there’s a big hockey tradition, but we are getting good crowds at our games. People like to come along and watch, support us. We’re often close to a full house at the games.”

And what of Ukhta itself, a city little-known to many in Russia, never mind beyond. “It’s a small, quiet, tranquil town in the far north, in the Komi Republic,” Orlova added. “It’s a nice place, but in the winters it can get very cold, even down to -40C!”

The rise of women’s hockey in this Northern outpost mirrors the progress of the game across Russia. On Wednesday, while Russia’s youngsters prepared for their World Championship Quarter-Final against Finland, the top players from the Women’s Hockey League were kicking off the KHL’s Week of Hockey Stars in Astana with an All-Star Game of their own. For Orlova, that kind of recognition alongside the ever-popular men’s game is truly valuable and she speaks passionately about the sport’s importance to her.

“For a long time, I think people were sceptical about the women’s game and didn’t have much faith that girls could play hockey,” she said. “Now that’s starting to change. You can see that from the crowds that are coming to our games here in Dmitrov. It’s just my opinion, but girls absolutely should be playing hockey. It’s clear that we don’t just love the game, we live it!”

ANDY POTTS

A pizza-fuelled Switzerland team powered to a 7-3 victory over Germany at the start of the relegation round, with Lisa Ruedi helping herself to a hat-trick.

After losing all three games in Group B, the Swiss camp pledged to forget about hockey on Tuesday evening and instead looked to bond over a pizza party. It proved to be a recipe for success, as the girls quickly took control of their game and seized the initiative in game one of the best-of-three relegation play-out in Dmitrov.

The scoring started early: in the fourth minute Lena Marie Lutz – who was awarded the best player prize after the game – won the puck on the red line and fed Sydney Berta on the blue. Berta advanced to shoot home the opener. Next, Lisa Ruedi got her first. Patrolling the blue line on a power play, she’d already fired in one mighty shot before Rahel Enzler teed her up once again and her second attempt hit the net. Within a minute it was 3-0 when Noemi Ryhner collected the puck from a face-off, advanced on Johanna May’s net and fired in a shot that got tangled up between the goalie and Lara Zimmerman before dropping back to Ryhner for a simple finish.

A flying start for the Swiss, but this team had blown a lead in its first game here and needed to be prepared for a German response after the intermission. However, Germany’s efforts to boost its offence were hampered when Switzerland scored three goals from six shots in the middle frame. First, Ruedi stole the puck on her own blue and skated all the way to the net for a short-handed goal. Then she turned provider, feeding Enzler for the fifth goal after Germany defence struggled to clear its lines. Enzler returned the favour a minute later, teeing up a shot from the blue line to clinch Ruedi’s hat-trick.

In the final frame, Germany briefly threatened an unlikely fightback. Franziska Brendel scored twice in quick succession, then Luisa Welcke made it 3-6 with eight minutes to play. A power play goal from Swiss captain Stefanie Wetli stamped out any hopes of a recovery, but the Germans will hope that their renewed momentum can carry on into Friday’s must-win meeting.

ANDY POTTS

A trio of second-period goals sees off a spirited Czech team and keeps Canada on the World Championship medal trail in Dmitrov.

Canada dominated from start to finish in a convincing quarter-final victory over the Czech Republic to set up a semi-final showdown with the USA.

Only some inspired goaltending from Kristyna Blahova kept the Canadians from taking the lead during the first period. The Slavia Prague goalie turned away 17 shots and endured some intense pressure as Canada looked to erase the memory of its 6-2 loss against the Americans just 24 hours earlier.

Canadian forward Maggie Connors agreed that the team had answered some of the questions asked of it overnight.

A lot of it was just about regrouping, she said. "We talked a lot about believing, and we know that we can still do well in this tournament. We certainly answered everything that our coaches asked of us."

For the Czechs, who topped Group B thanks to a victory over Finland in their third game, this was a tough examination. The effective line of Kristyna Kaltounkova, Laura Lerchova and Barbora Machalova was starved of opportunities in the opposition zone as Canada established a stranglehold on the game that gave it everything except an opening goal.

Their goalie did really well, Connors added. "She was always there at the right time but we felt like as soon as we got that first one off we could start building a lead."

As Connors suggested, the first goal was only a matter of time. The pressure continued in the second period, and the chances were getting more and more dangerous. Blahova made a big save to deny Sarah Fillier when Canada’s captain went clean through on the net, and was then relieved to see Maggie Connors’ shot bounce clear off the near post. But the Czechs could not get the puck away from danger, and when the goalie misjudged Allexis Adzija’s pass across the front of the net, Courtney Correia was on hand to squeeze a shot back into the open net as two defenders desperately tried to hack it clear.

The last thing the Czechs needed now was a penalty, but Agata Sarnovska’s illegal hit gave Canada a power play chance and after Claire Dalton shot narrowly wide, Willow Slobodzian fired home a one-timer off Courtney Vorster’s feed.

Not even a Czech power play could ease the pressure on Blahova, with Abygail Moloughney racing clear from a defensive face-off but shooting too high. A third goal was not long in coming, however, and when Grace Shirley whipped in a shot from the face-off spot, Courtney Kollman was on hand to reach out her stick and deflect the puck beyond Blahova’s reach.

A 5-on-3 situation at the start of the third period offered some hope to the Czechs, and Adela Skrdlova took advantage when she fired in a pass from Lerchova to reduce the deficit. Encouraged, the team showed greater initiative in the closing stages, but a one-on-one chance for Tereza Mazancova and Anna Kotounova’s long-range shot against the post on a late power play were the closest the European team came to making it a one-goal game.

We knew the Czechs would come at us hard in the third and we just wanted to make sure that there was no way back for them, Connors added. "In the end, it all came down to our work ethic. Whatever we say about systems, we can't use them if we don't have that work ethic throughout the game."

Canada’s win sends it to a semi-final match-up against the USA, while the Czechs now look forward to a 5th-6th placement game against the loser in tonight’s Russia-Finland quarter-final.

ANDY POTTS

Maria Alexandrova ended Russia's goal drought after four blank periods and helped to fire her country into a match-up with Sweden in Friday's semi-final.

Sometimes, a goal makes all the difference. Almost half of this game was about Russia struggling to make an impact on Finland’s defence. The rest was about a home offence suddenly freed from its shackles and buoyed by a double salvo inspired by Maria Alexandrova.

The 17-year-old Tornado forward is used to playing here in Dmitrov, and she made herself the darling of the home crowd with a goal and an assist as Russia finally broke the spell around Sanni Ahola’s net. First, Alexandrova was in the right place as Daria Beloglazova’s battling work on the slot saw the puck squirt out to the far post. The angle was tight, but Alexandrova’s high finish was flawless.

For the Russian crowd, which had seen its team blanked by Sweden yesterday and limited to just four shots in the first period, it was a moment of pure relief. And their joy intensified two minutes later as Alexandrova returned the favour for Beloglazova with a fine assist. With Russia on the power play, she swept imperiously down the left-hand channel, got beyond the goal line and fed Beloglazova on the slot. Ahola was equal to the first shot, but the rebound beat the Finnish goalie and Dmitrov’s Ice Palace was bouncing again.

Russia responded. Prior to Alexandrova’s goal, the team had managed a solitary shot on goal in the second period. Afterwards, not even a pair of penalty kills could help Finland battle back into the game.

But life for the Leijonat might have been very different. After a cautious opening, Finland enjoyed a long spell on the power play – much of it in 6-on-4 format after Polina Luchnikova’s infraction was followed by a delayed call against Alexandrova. The Finnish pressure was intense, but Diana Farkhutdinova was equal to all that Suomi could throw at her. Indeed, as the clock ticked down, Russia almost snatched a short-handed breakaway goal through Ilona Markova. The same player threatened again on Russia’s first power play, showing neat stick-handling on the doorstep before Ahola made the save, but Finland’s leading scoring Elisa Holopainen almost conjured a goal out of nothing when she robbed Irina Tsatsyna on the blue and only to shoot high over Farkhutdinova’s net. And the Finns came even closer in the final minute of the session, when Linnea Melotindos shot against the inside of the post and watched the puck slide agonisingly along the goalline before a Russian defender hacked it clear.

Alexandrova’s attacking play in the middle frame deservedly grabbed most of the attention, but Farkhutdinova remained composed at the other end. Her sharp reaction save to deny a twice-deflected Heli Allinen shot through traffic preserved Russia’s two-goal cushion and helped her towards her first shut-out in the tournament. The SKIF Nizhni Novgorod goalie finished the game with 24 saves.

Friday sees Russia take on Sweden in the semi-final, with memories of Tuesday's 2-0 victory for the Tre Kronor fresh for both teams. Finland will go against the Czech Republic in the game for 5th place.

ANDY POTTS

At the age of 25, Maxim Parfeyevets is both young enough to entertain big hopes for the future and experienced enough to be the lynchpin of Yunost Minsk.

The KHL call-up may have been overdue, seeing as it came at the age of 25, but Maxim Parfeyevets was as excited as a teenaged rookie, when he got his trial contract with Dynamo Minsk, Belarus’ flagship franchise. Prior to that, Parfeyevets was a scoring star for Yunost Minsk, the perennial powerhouse of the Belarusian Extraliga, the host of the 2018 IIHF Continental Cup Final. He leads the league with 25 goals and 49 points in 30 games.

Dynamo was the logical step up. More than that, he was to report straight to St. Petersburg for the away game against the mighty SKA, arguably the best professional club outside of the NHL.

“They threw my right under the hammers,” says Parfeyevets, employing a peculiar Russian colloquialism. “But we showed good, aggressive hockey there. It helped that a lot of SKA guys were off with the national team where they spent a lot of energy, so we looked fresher and quicker. Could’ve probably won in regulation, but I am proud that we didn’t fall apart after allowing the equalizer and got the shootout win. I am very happy that my KHL debut was a win over a team such as SKA.”

Parfeyevets’ KHL assignment lasted for only two games, and his stat line consists of one assist in the SKA match, but there is feeling in the Belarusian hockey circles that the high-flying winger has outgrown the Extraliga, where he is scoring almost a goal per game.

“This is a better question to ask coaches and experts,” said Parfeyevets when confronted with this school of thought. “People who watch me from the side have a better idea. I am not thinking about my future plans since it’s still the middle of the season, and there are big games ahead. But when it’s over, we’ll look at it and think it over.”

For Parfeyevets, maximizing his hockey potential is a matter of family pride. And of some unfinished business from the previous generation.

“It was my father who introduced me to hockey,” says Parfeyevets. “He played himself, but at the age of 18 he went to do his duty for the Motherland (serve in the army), and that was the end of his career. They did offer him to come back, but when he was 20, I got born, and he decided to do something else with his life. He only returned to hockey when I turned six.”

Maxim still recalls the conversation in the family car when it was decided the tender-aged Parfeyevets Junior would be handed over to Gennadi Bandurin, dad’s old coach who was still working at the local youth hockey club. It’s him, dad, and the Yunost Minsk coach Denis Bulgakov, who get the most credit for making Maxim into a player.

“I am so thankful to all of them for laying the basis early on,” says Parveyevets. “I am undoubtedly very happy that I got into hockey. It’s an amazing sport. I enjoy my job, and that’s the most important thing.”

One thing the speedy winger always had to compensate for is his relatively modest size. At 170 cm and 79 kg, he doesn’t exactly cut an imposing figure, which doesn’t concern Maxim in the least. Indeed, he sees it as an advantage.

“I get an edge in quickness, but yes, at the highest level the size is emphasized,” he acknowledged. “But it’s not like I am the only one like that. There are players with similar vitals who play in the NHL, so I keep a positive outlook. Even the little ones can find their spot.”

Right now, his spot is helping Yunost in its quest for the Continental Cup on the home ice of the Chizhovka Arena. Built as second venue for the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, the new arena has become home to Yunost. After the team’s successful outing in Denmark during the preliminary round of the Continental Cup, Yunost is bullish on its chances before the famously loyal Minsk crowds.

“We showed ourselves very nicely in Denmark,” said Maxim. “It’s a great tournament, and good hockey was played by all the teams. It’s so interesting to play against teams from other countries and to see the level of the local champions. But it’s going to be totally different hockey in Minsk. Everyone gets reinforcements for the Continental Cup, since the first place gives you the pass to the Champions Hockey League, which is a completely different level. The Minsk tourney will be great. I hope, the visitors will like it in our country.”

As for Parfeyevets personally, his next goal is to catch the eye of the national team. He has donned the Belarus red and green in the past, but never in the World Championship, and surely wouldn’t mind another visit to Denmark, where the 2018 tournament will be held in May.

“There is always a chance,” said Parfeyevets. “But I must do a lot of work for that. And show good hockey.”

SLAVA MALAMUD

Denmark survives for 2019

A medal at stake

The winner takes it all

Katchouk learns from mom

Bronze blowout

Mittelstadt named MVP

Groups for 2019 known

U18 women ready

Canada wins thriller

WW18 begins

U.S. girls move to top

Leading by example

All up for grabs

Swede sensation

Play-off round ready

City of captains

Pizza party!

Canada strikes back

Alexandrova the Great

Minsk’s Max Power