The 2018 Youth Ice Hockey World Championship starts on December 26, 2017 and ends on January 5, 2018. The next draw of the tournament, like last time, will take place on the territory North America- in the American city of Buffalo. The presenters will come to the championship hockey teams... Viewers will see the teams of Canada, Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland, USA - only 10 national teams. But only one of them will win the trophy of the 42nd edition of the championship.

Where and when the World Youth Hockey Championship 2018 will take place

Spectators will see the sports action from December 26, 2017 to January 5 next year. Hockey players will gather in the American city of Buffalo. They will have three modern sports complexes at their service: “New Era Field"," Kibank Center "and" Harbor Center ".

Harbor Center

A multi-purpose complex that is widely used for exhibitions and concerts. The seating capacity is very low - 1,800. It seems that the organizers will seriously think about how to increase the number of seats.

"Cybank Center"

The home arena of the Buffalo Sabers, a local hockey team, with a capacity of 19,000 spectators. Both semifinal matches and the World Cup final will take place within the walls of the SC.

« New Era Field "

Huge football stadium in the open air, in the stands of which more than 71,000 fans can fit. But viewers shouldn't worry. The organizers are not going to freeze them the whole tournament at all. There will be only one match on the New Era Field ice. But what - the USA vs Canada! The game will take place within group stage.

Schedule of the hockey World Cup 2018 among youth teams

This is how the calendar of matches for the upcoming tournament looks like:

• 26 - 31 December 2017: group round;
• 2 january 2018: quarterfinals;
• The 25th of January: consolation round;
• 4 January: semi-final;
• 5 January: final and bronze medal match.

The consolation round should be mentioned separately. This is a three-match series of games, which is held up to 2 wins. It is where the two worst band members meet. The winner of the confrontation gets the opportunity to stay in the top division, and the loser is relegated to the league one level below.

Ice Hockey U20 World Championship 2018 Teams

10 ice teams, staffed by players not older than 20 years old, will come to the "hockey world championship". The organizers of the tournament have already divided them into two quintets.

Group A:

• Canada;
• Denmark;
• Slovakia;
• Finland.

One match each will take place at New Era Field and Harbor Center, and all the rest at Kibank Center.

Group B:

• Russia;
• Sweden;
• Czech;
• Switzerland;
• Belarus.

Hockey matches will be held on the ice of the Kibank Center and Harbor Center.

Russian national team at the World Youth Hockey Championship 2018

Our “young growth” will again try to win the gold medals of the competition. The schedule of games of the Russian national team in the group round of the World Cup is as follows:

• 26 december 2017: Russia - Czech Republic;
• December 28th: Russia - Switzerland;
• December 29th: Russia - Belarus;
• 31th of December: Russia - Sweden.

The group is even. It is hard to imagine that the domestic squad will not be able to make it to the playoffs. The main opponents for the first place in the quintet are likely to be the Swedes and the Czechs.

Final of the World Cup 2018 in ice hockey among youth teams

It is difficult to predict who will qualify for the final. But if we turn to statistics recent years, then the list of potential participants looks like this: Russia, Canada, USA, Finland and Sweden.

Canada

16-time winners of the competition. Especially a lot of gold was stamped by Maple Leaves in the mid-90s and 2000s. There is no doubt that the Canadians will try to bring the number of their victories to 17!

Russia

The patriotic squad can boast of 13 awards of the highest standard, 4 of which it won in the modern period. Last time our guys won gold in 2011. Since then, Valery Bragin's charges have been very close to success. But so far they manage to take only silver and bronze.

Finland

The Suomi national team was the best 4 times. The last gold went to them in 2016. It is noteworthy that already in the next edition, the Finns almost flew out of the elite division. In general, you don't know what to expect from these strange Finnish guys ...

Sweden

The Scandinavians took the World Cup trophy only 2 times. Not too much for such a serious hockey country. But Tre Krunur has a chance to improve!

The tournament will take place in an American city. Therefore, there is no doubt that the US team - the winner of the 2017 World Cup - will tear and throw, supported by their native stands!

COMPOSITION OF WOMEN'S YOUTH TEAM RUSSIA - 2017

Valeria Merkusheva (SKSO Yekaterinburg) - goalkeeper

Valeria, who started playing in Zelenograd, had no other choice, since her father at one time devoted a lot of time to hockey, and her brother is engaged in this sport. Almost from the start, when she was eight, she took a seat at the gate. Previously, Merkusheva also studied figure skating... She also graduated music school domra class, having studied there for 5 years, although since childhood she dreamed of playing the guitar. For Valeria, the current youth championship the world is already the second in her career, and in the summer she was at the training camp with the main national team. In rare moments of relaxation he listens to music and loves to draw.

Milena Tretyak ("Orbit" Zelenograd) - goalkeeper

Tretiak got into hockey at the age of seven because of her brother. He initially went in for swimming, but because of the developed otitis media, he changed the pool to an ice rink. Together with Valeria Merkusheva, Milena began to play in the attack, but almost immediately moved into the goal. The surname obliges. Tretyak plays for the boys in the Moscow open championship number one. “It’s harder, but more interesting, and the throws are stronger,” the girl admitted. “My father helps to sort out mistakes.” Milena believes that she needs to work additionally to get to the senior world championship and the Olympics.

Diana Farkhutdinova (SKIF Nizhny Novgorod region) - goalkeeper

A native of Ufa, who took the first serious steps in hockey in the homeland of Oleg Znark in Ust-Katava, and then in Chelyabinsk, at one time had to persuade her parents. Those at first were categorically against Diana's hobby. She herself became interested in hockey because of a friend who was already involved in this wonderful sport. Farkhutdinova tried her hand at boxing and judo. Dad and mom eventually accepted their daughter's choice. Diana spends her second season in the Nizhny Novgorod SKIF and sets a goal to get to the Olympics in order to take first place there.

Svetlana Bobrova (Tornado Moscow Region) - defender

Svetlana's mother is a master of sports of international class, until recently she herself played in "Tornado" and was involved in the first national team of Russia. The eldest of three daughters always saw an example before her eyes, so she came to hockey at the age of 6. Also, like her mother Elena, Svetlana began to play as a defender. "In this regard, I get more criticism at home, but little praise," admits Bobrova Jr. Svetlana played for four years in Dmitrov for the boys' team, and then in Moscow at the Severnaya Zvezda school. For her, this world championship was the first. Further plans - to get to the Olympics.

Anna Klimkina (Biryusa Krasnoyarsk) - defender

Anna is from Zelenograd, where she started hockey at the age of 9. She met ice and skates even earlier, when she tried to prove herself in figure skating... In her own words, she didn’t do well. Once my father offered to try his hand at hockey with his brother, and Anya agreed. “Hockey got me hooked right away, especially since, due to the fact that I already knew how to skate, at first I easily went around the boys,” Klimkina recalls. At the age of 14 she was called to Krasnoyarsk, where she plays for Biryusa. For Anna, this will be the second youth world championship. “At the first tournament a year ago, I was worried, I was a quiet one in the team, but now, after having gained experience, I feel completely calm,” said Klimkina. Anna has a rather unusual hobby - scrapbooking. With her own hands, she designs the covers of diaries for friends in a highly artistic style.

Maria Kuznetsova ("Arctic University" Ukhta) - defender

Maria got into hockey by chance when she was 10 years old. She skated on the rink, took a golf club from her brother and tried to portray something. At that moment, the coach who turned out to be nearby drew attention to her. Previously, the girl studied piano for six years at a music school. Kuznetsova is from the Arkhangelsk region, and moved to Ukhta at the age of 14. “Mom, as soon as this option appeared, began to sound the alarm and did not want to let me go, but in the end everything turned out fine,” Maria said. Kuznetsova dreams not only about sporting achievements, hoping to get into the main national team, but not without reason believes that everything will work out for her on the personal front - in the plans of marriage and the creation of a family.

Alina Orlova (Arctic University Ukhta) - defender

Orlova is from Stupino and began to play with the leader of the current national team, Nina Pirogova. Like many girls, she got into hockey after her brother. “I came to his trainings and at the age of five declared that I wanted to try, - recalls Alina. They put on my brother's uniform, gave me huge skates - my legs parted. At first I crawled, holding on to the side, but after 15 minutes I was already running around the site. they immediately said that this was given to me, and the next day dad bought a uniform. ballroom dancing paired with her brother, and, unlike him, she did little. “The dance teacher is a godmother, she told my mother that it’s not mine,” the girl said. “My family graduated from music school, but things didn’t work out with her right away. The teacher said that I shouldn’t make music, because I’m a bear I stepped on my ear. Swimming did not work either because of an allergy to bleach, so I devoted myself entirely to hockey. " Orlova does not have the largest dimensions, she tries to act more at the expense of technology.

Nina Pirogova ("Tornado" Moscow region) - defender

Pirogova is the leader of the team. Regularly and for several years now he is called up to the national team. Nina came to hockey very early - at the age of three, after her brother. In addition, she simultaneously studied English, folk dances and music. By the age of seven, when Pirogova went to school, she left hockey and English for herself. “I also play for the first team, the girls are more masterful there, and I have to do it harder,” says Nina. “But here I have a great responsibility. I am the captain and I try to be the leader in the team.”

Elena Provorova (SKIF Nizhny Novgorod region) - defender

The youngest member of the youth team - Elena turned 15 only last November. She is from Nizhny Novgorod, both her father and brother played hockey. It was dad who offered to try himself in this sport. Provorova began to play hockey with boys, and she immediately liked it. One of the goals is to go to play abroad to see the world. Elena spends her first season in adult hockey and makes her debut in the youth team.

Anna Savonina (Atlant Voskresensk) - defender

Anna is only 15 years old, so it was very difficult for her at the training camp, but she was able to prove her right to a place in the squad. Her father and brother at one time also played hockey, and the latter reached SKA-Karelia in the VHL, but at the age of 20 he decided to end his career. “It’s hard in a hockey family, because they can criticize from every corner,” Anya smiles. started in Elektrostal at the age of seven, at one time sharing a puck and a club with a basketball.

Daria Zubok ("Tornado" Moscow region) - defender

Daria was a hyperactive child, so she ended up on mass skating - first she went out on the ice on figure skates, then on hockey. Her parents gave her to hockey, and the girl played for four years with the boys in different ages in the small town of Megion, located in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. “Then I moved to Surgut with my dad and mom to develop,” Zubok said. “But there I got a compression fracture of my back and spent half a year. Then I ended up in Chelyabinsk, where I spent two years, and in the third year I moved to Dmitrov, Daria spends his third season for the youth team and expects to get an education related to sports, but does not want to be a coach.

Daria Beloglazova ("Rus" Moscow) - forward

Dasha began to play hockey at the school of the capital "Rus" at the age of five after a friend called her to practice. She liked it and stayed. Beloglazova's parents have never been associated with hockey before. Father - former footballer, mom was engaged athletics... “My relatives watch all my games, worry, they call after each game,” the girl said. “Rus.” Coaches immediately put on the attack. In general, I wanted to be a goalkeeper, but my parents said, they say, and so I chose hockey. That's enough. What other goalkeeper? " For Beloglazova, hockey is not the main thing in life. According to her, she has another hobby. She prefers not to talk about him publicly. “I’ll play hockey for myself, and when I’m tired, I’ll play for those who like to run,” Daria is sure.

Polina Bolgareva (SKIF Nizhny Novgorod region) - forward

One of the most sociable girls on the team has been playing hockey for 11 years. Bolgareva's father is friends with several hockey players and somehow, as a joke, little Polina was put on a uniform and forced to skate. However, the joke dragged on and the girl, who had been doing rhythmic gymnastics from three to seven years old, happily exchanged her club and ribbons for a hockey stick and skates. Bolgareva spent four years - from 12 to 16 - in Boston, where she studied at a Catholic school and played for local teams, both with girls and boys. Polina is very self-critical and considers herself a "mid-level player". V free time loves to relax and eat deliciously. "For this reason, my beloved friend is a bed," Bolgareva laughs. Polina knows how to play the flute, and over time she would like to return to the United States again and graduate from the university there.

Oksana Bratischeva (SKIF Nizhny Novgorod region) - forward

This is the first world championship for Oksana. She herself is from Chelyabinsk, where she started with her current teammate Liza Rodnova in the boys' team. My brother was engaged in hockey, therefore, looking at him, Oksana begged her parents to give her to this sport instead of the one who was bored by that moment rhythmic gymnastics... As a result, she managed to achieve her goal at eight years old. "Now I have one goal - to do everything so that the team wins a medal," Bratischeva believes. "In the future, I want to get to the Olympics."

Ekaterina Dobrodeeva (Biryusa Krasnoyarsk) - forward

Ekaterina was born in Khabarovsk, and then lived in a village near this city. She came to hockey at the age of eight at the suggestion of her father, who himself actively plays at the amateur level. Now dad has come to support her at the World Championships. “At first, my father tried to tell me, but then he realized that I don’t like it and I can only listen to the coaches,” Dobrodeeva said. not ballroom shoes.

Margarita Dorofeeva ("Orbit" Moscow) - forward

Margarita hails from Zelenograd, where she started playing at the age of 8 with the boys as a defender. Prior to that, for five years - from 3 to 8, she was engaged in figure skating. “My parents liked it, I didn't,” the girl recalls. “After us the hockey players trained, I had many acquaintances there, in the end I finished off my parents with my requests. At first I was engaged in figure skating and hockey. This lasted for a year. But how I just got on hockey skates, I liked it right away, I realized - it's mine. " Margarita captivated the whole family with hockey, and after her dad and younger brother began to study it. In her free time, Dorofeeva loves to travel and discover new places.

Victoria Kulishova (SKIF Nizhny Novgorod region) - forward

Kulishova is from Megion, a town in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. At first, from 4 to 6 years old, she was engaged in acrobatics, and then she got into a sports class with boys who were engaged in hockey. This influenced her choice. Kulishova chose between Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod, where she was invited, eventually ending up in SKIF. Victoria loves music and knows how to play the guitar. “Dad first showed three chords, and then she began to study everything, - the girl recalls. - In the national team I feel a great responsibility for the country. I really want to win a medal, get into the national team and the Olympics.”

Elena Mezentseva (Biryusa Krasnoyarsk) - forward

At the age of 15, Elena is one of the youngest players in the youth team. She herself comes from Chita, she was noticed at a tournament in Achinsk and was invited to Krasnoyarsk when Mezentseva was only 14. The girl has been playing hockey since she was 8 years old, taking an example from her older brother. “I just went with him to learn how to skate, but there was a stick and a puck, I took them and, as they say, it started,” Elena says. “I started with the boys. My grandmother always supported me and went with me. My mother was against the move to Krasnoyarsk, her father could hardly persuade her, and she resigned herself. " Mezentseva connects her near future exclusively with hockey and seeks to get to the Olympics in order to win gold there.

Maria Nadezhdina (SKIF Nizhny Novgorod region) - forward

Maria comes from the Volga region - a city in the Nizhny Novgorod region. She has two brothers, the youngest of whom was sent to hockey. The girl watched his workouts and asked her dad to be allowed to do this sport too. "The form was expensive, but one good man gave it to me, and at the age of 7 I began to play, - said Nadezhdina. - First with the boys, then with the girls. In addition, she studied ballet for five years, but once she simply did not go on stage - she did not want to. I went to a music school for another 8 years. "The younger brother is now playing in amateurs, and Maria intends to break into the first national team. She has a strong character and loves to argue with coaches. At home she occasionally plays the synthesizer, learns to be a journalist and loves to cook.

Elizaveta Rodnova (SKIF Nizhny Novgorod region) - forward

Liza was born in Chelyabinsk, and spends her first season in the national team. Her father was a children's coach. “I was there, I repeated after them, although I was dancing at the time and studied well at school,” Rodnova recalls. - But I was interested in hockey, although only at the age of 12 I began to practice it professionally at the Makarov school. Dad later switched from boys to girls. I got it from him both in training and at home. After all, he is a coach, he notices something and tries to fix it. ”Lisa's younger brother also plays hockey.

Tatyana Shatalova (Biryusa Krasnoyarsk) - forward

Tatiana started playing hockey in Minsk at the Yunost school, and now for the third year she has been playing at the Krasnoyarsk Biryusa. Her older brother also tried to realize himself on the ice, regularly went to train America, but once his visa was not extended, and he finished. “I myself asked to play hockey from 4-5 years old, my parents were against it, but then I wanted to try myself in boxing,” Shatalova says. “They told me that it would be better to give it to hockey. games, he behaves emotionally. After the matches he consoles and encourages, and he doesn’t climb to point out mistakes, leaving it to the coaches. He came to the World Cup and cheers for me on the podium. ” In her free time, Tatiana prefers to watch movies.

Olga Shirokova ("Orbit" Moscow) - forward

Olga is originally from Moscow, she started hockey at the age of four at the school "White Bears". “My brother played hockey, and I went to figure skating,” the girl said. “But I didn't like it. But in hockey there was a form, it didn't hurt to fall there, and this attracted me. I do not believe that hockey is not female look sports. Everyone chooses what they like. "

Alena Starovoitova ("Tornado" Moscow region) - forward

Alena from 2 to 9 years old was engaged in figure skating, and her father Mikhail loved to watch bandy matches. Once he took his daughter with him, and she saw at the end of one of the games of the adult teams how the girls came out on the ice. “I wanted to try. I managed to persuade my dad, although we returned to the conversation only a few months later, and in the end I gave the bandy a whole year,” the girl recalls. the school where the girls studied. They then went to "Tornado" and "Dynamo." replace with a washer. "

Starovoitova has been playing hockey since she was 10 and has tried all positions except for the goalkeeper. Most of all, she likes to go out on the ice as a center striker, since she can prove herself both in attack and in defense.

Based on materials from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation

The 42nd World Championship will be especially remarkable for the Russian national team and its head coach Valery Bragin, whose youth stage of his career began with the "golden" tournament in 2011.

That championship was held just in Buffalo, so Bragin was probably pleased that this city won fierce competition for the right to host the tournament in Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Chicago.

It was that MFM-2011 that changed the status of the tournament in the eyes of Russian fans. From an obscure and interesting competition to the mass spectator, the youth world championships have moved into the status of an invariable New Year's attribute of Russians who are even more or less interested in hockey.

Actually, you can even say exactly when and why this change in consciousness happened.

On January 5, 2011, Russia beat Canada in the final, revenge for the defeat in the group.

If in the first match of the tournament (3: 6) the Russians outright lost to the “maple leaves” the third period, to which the teams approached with a score of 3: 3, then in the final Bragin's wards were inferior before the final 20-minute with a score of 0: 3, but were able to incredible five goals in a row and snatched gold.

That match was officially recognized by the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) as the best in the history of the youth world championships.

Miracles on schedule

But the main reason why youth hockey received the status it deserved in the eyes of the fans is not even the Buffalo gold in 2011.

Ice hockey at the level of youth teams and Bragin's teams does not leave anyone indifferent. This is a celebration of play, sincerity, skill, emotion, character and patriotism in the best sense of the word.

In addition, the national team, under the leadership of Bragin, has one feature: it always plays to the end, without giving up in any situation, thanks to which it fantastically often performs miracles.

Bragin himself, over the years of work with the youth team of Russia, has earned the honorary nickname Valery Kambekovich.

Bragin really knows how to work with young hockey players, understands their psychology and from year to year finds the right path to their hearts.

Back in 2004, the specialist headed the Russian national team at the junior world championship and won gold there with the team where Alexander Radulov played, and.

Even then, in the final match against the United States, the Russians were able to win (3: 2) after the first game segment lost with a minimum score.

But on the stream of comebacks, Bragin's teams were already at the youth level. In 2011 final match with Canada was the crown of miracles from the Russian team, and before him there was a quarterfinal victory over Finland in overtime (4: 3 OT), when at the beginning of the 56th minute Russia lost 1: 3, and a semi-final against Sweden, won by shootouts ( 4: 3 B).

In that match, the Russian national team was leading in two goals, but allowed the opponent not only to recoup, but also to take the lead, and in the 57th minute, and still escaped and reached the very final against Canada.

On next year The Russians played in the quarterfinals against the Czech Republic (2: 1 OT), but in the final they held out against Sweden on the shoulders of the goalkeeper, who saved the first 57 shots on his goal, but still missed 58th in overtime from Mika Zybanejad. The Russians were able to scrape together only 17 shots at the Swedish goal.

After that, Bragin resigned, and for two years the main youth team headed the country.

Despite the fact that bronze medals were won twice under him, I don't really want to remember this period: Russian team for some reason, at both tournaments there was a very strange selection of players, when one or two teams were clearly weaker than the others, and awards were actually won on the shoulders of the leaders of the national team.

Although in both cases the Russian team lacked quite a bit in the semifinals against Sweden, and Canada was beaten twice in the bronze matches, Bragin's return to the youth team in 2015 was perceived as a blessing.

Until the second coming of the specialist comes out gold. In 2015 and 2016, the team under his leadership took silver medals, and last year they were left with only bronze, but very, very offensive.

But at these tournaments Bragin confirmed his reputation. In 2015, in the final with Canada, the comeback was not quite enough - Russia was hopelessly losing 1: 5 during the third period, but scored three goals in a row and almost saved the meeting.

Well, the 40th MFM was marked by "returns" Russian youth... In the group stage were won strong-willed victories over the Czech Republic (2: 1 B) and Finland (6: 4), but those were only flowers.

In the playoffs, Russia escaped three times, and twice for last minute, changing the goalkeeper to the sixth fielder. So it was in the quarterfinals against Denmark (4: 3 OT), in the semifinals with the Americans (2: 1), the Russians turned the game over in the second segment, and in the final against Finland, Russia was short of the minority in the 58th minute, was able to transfer the meeting to overtime with a goal six seconds before the siren, but conceded from in the extra segment.

Anomaly-2017

The 2017 Youth World Cup came out strange for many reasons. First, for the first time in the history of this tournament reigning champion did not get into the playoffs, but in the butt round for survival in the elite.

The Finnish national team managed to lose the chances to leave the last place in the group with Sweden, Denmark, Czech Republic and Switzerland even before the last round, and then, not without problems, won the streak for survival against Latvia (2: 1, 4: 1).

The innovation of the tournament played against Russia. At the MFM in Montreal and Toronto, for the first time, there was a rule under which the shootout series in the playoffs initially consisted not of three, but of five attempts.

For some reason, Russian hockey players did not know this, and in the rescued in the third period - but what about? - in the semi-final against the USA, after the reflected third American shootout, we went to rejoice.

It turned out that it was too early - the referees returned the teams to the ice, and the Americans made the next two attempts, the Russians scored only one, and the Stars and Stripes were lucky in the additional shootouts.

Supercomposition of Russia

Bragin's team is going to the current world forum in a very powerful and promising line-up. Forward Andrei Svechnikov claims to be selected in the NHL draft under the first number in the summer of 2018.

The Canadian player for Victorianville became the second-highest scorer in the Quebec Junior League (QMJHL) last season (after).

Now playing in the AHL for the St. Louis farm club, San Antonio, is a very promising striker, who is predicted to have a great future in the NHL.

Finally, Russia has a chic three from the SKA farm club SKA-1946 Altybarmakyan - Polodyan - Maltsev. These guys should definitely declare themselves in Buffalo. In the recent Super Series with the national teams of the junior leagues of Canada, they looked great.

And, of course, there are no hockey players in Bragin's team whose call to the youth team would look strange, which the youth teams of 2013 and 2014 did not avoid ...

The composition of the Russian national team at the MFM-2017:

goalkeepers:(SKA-Neva), (Su Falls, USHL), (Chelmet);

defenders:(CSKA), (Chelmet), (Swift Current, WHL), (Dynamo Moscow), (Tolpar), (SKA-Neva), (Gelf Storm, OHL), ( "SKA-Neva");

forwards:(Sudbury, OHL), (Avangard), Vitaly Abramov (Victoriaville, QMJHL), (Lokomotiv), (SKA-Neva), Andrey Svechnikov (Barry Colts, OHL), ( SKA-Neva), (Akadi-Bathurst, QMJHL), Marsel Sholokhov (Chelmet), Klim Kostin (San Antonio, AHL), (SKA-Neva), (Lokomotiv) ...

Foreign creatures

Although this year the Russian national team will be one of the main favorites of the MFM, there are enough brilliant young players in the compositions of other national teams.

The traditionally powerful team was brought to America by Sweden, whose hockey training system for juniors works like a real conveyor belt.

Two hockey players should be singled out for Tre Kronur. The 18-year-old defender is already in full swing in the Swedish elite division for Frelunda, scored 11 (5 + 6) points in this championship and is the main competitor for the first draft in 2018.

But the main star of the Swedes is still 19-year-old striker Elias Petterson, who simply blows up the Swedish league with Vaxjo.

The striker went to the youth national team in the status top scorer leagues! In his first season, he already scored a fantastic 35 (11 goals, 24 assists) in 26 matches!

1.35 points per game in the Swedish league have never been scored by any hockey player in the country's rich hockey history.

We can say that the Vancouver Canucks, who picked him at number five in last year's draft, hit the jackpot. Petterson should become a worthy heir to the “killer whales” and the Sedin brothers, who in their first year in adult hockey went with a score of about one point per game and were still the best in SHL history.

Among the Finns, we will single out the center forward Rasmus Kupari, who, at 17, not only plays in the elite division of the national championship for Karpyat, but is also the youngest in Suomi, as well as the left winger of Jokerit Eli Tolvanen, who in his debut match in the KHL scored a hat-three and now has 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) in 39 regular season games.

The Americans have a very experienced team this year, which is also traditionally played, since most of its players have gone through the USNTDP team of the US junior training system.

At the same time, the leader of the "Stars and Stripes" 19-year-old Prospect of the New York Islanders Kiefer Bellows after this "forge of talent" managed to play for Boston College last season, and this year he plays in Western hockey league(WHL) in Canada for Portland and has 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists) in 31 games.

Bellows' Canadian challenger on WHL quarterback Kyle Klag being prospect Los angeles kings", A fan of the game and, apparently, the heir - the leader of the maple leaves team.

The 19-year-old Clag has an incredible 47 points (10 goals, 37 assists) in 28 Western Hockey League games this season!

Also worth a look is team captain Dylan Dube, who was drafted by the Calgary Flames and who has 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 27 games for Kelowna in the WHL this season, as well as two other strikers.

Alex Forementon and Robert Thomas are the only 18-year-olds to make their way to Canada at this MFM.

They are teammates with London in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), with Formenton early in the season before returning to junior hockey, play their NHL debut for the Ottawa Senators. The St. Louis Blues forward Thomas has 46 points (20 goals, 26 assists) in 27 OHL games in the current regular season.

Convenient schedule

Despite the fact that this year's tournament is being held overseas, the schedule of matches for Russian fans is quite convenient.

This is due to the fact that our team fell into group B, where there is neither Canada nor the United States, which will get the local prime time, which means a deep night for residents of the central part of Russia.

Bragin's national team will start the tournament on December 26 with a match with the Czech Republic at 20.00 Moscow time, with Switzerland it will play on the 28th at 22.00 Moscow time, the game with Belarus will begin exactly one day later, and only the final group stage match against Sweden will take place on January 1 at 4.00 Moscow time because of his status.

However, for Russians who will celebrate before New Year this is perhaps even better.

In Group A, which includes Canada, the USA, Finland, Denmark and Switzerland, the North American derby will be held for the first time in the history of the MFM in the open air at an American football stadium " New Era Field", Which can accommodate almost 72 thousand spectators.

As for the playoffs, the elimination games will take place in 2018, and almost all of them will take place at the home stadium of the NHL Buffalo Sabers, the Kickbank Arena, with a capacity of almost 20,000 fans.

You can get acquainted with other news, materials and statistics on the Russian national ice hockey team, as well as in the groups of the sports department in social networks

January 4, 2017.
Semifinal.

RUSSIA - USA 3: 4 B (1: 1; 1: 2; 1: 0; 0: 0; 0: 1)

The Russians scored goals: Whims (Vorobyov), Guryanov (Kudako, Karnaukhov), Guryanov.

The appearance of Ilya Samsonov at the gate did not come as a surprise. Striker Danil Yurtaykin returned to the squad, while defender Artem Volkov and striker German Rubtsov did not take part in the match.

In the beginning, the game went on almost without stopping, while it did not come to really dangerous moments. The calm and orderly course of the match was broken by the first link of the Russians: Polunin imposed a fight in the Americans' zone, Vorobyov left the puck to Kaprizov, who jumped out from behind the gate and shot Parsons. It was going to break, when luck smiled at the Americans - this Keller threw from the corner of the court, hitting his partner: ricochet and 1: 1.

The second period began with the attacks of the Russian national team, one of which ended with a goal by Guryanov, who finished off the puck into the goal after a long-range shot by Kudako. The Americans responded to the goal of the Russians with two, at first Kanin scored in the majority, and then White again, not without the help of a ricochet, brought the US team ahead - 3: 2.

At the beginning of the third period, the Americans got the opportunity to increase their advantage thanks to a free throw, but Keller could not beat Samsonov, who tightly caught the puck. Not even a minute had passed - Denis Guryanov showed how to implement a one-on-one exit by completing a double. The remaining time until the end of the period passed in double-edged attacks, but at the time of the siren the scoreboard showed 3: 3. The additional ten minutes was a continuation of the third period: dangerous attacks, but again without result.

In the shootout, luck smiled at the opponent - the winning shot was scored by Troy Terry.

Based on materials from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation