Toggle sidebar

WJC: Division I-III

  • Xenforo Cloud has upgraded us to version 2.3.6. Please report any issues you experience.
The greatest thing about this Hungarian U20 team is that their core is 17-18 years old, their starting goalie is 16.. They will have a chance to play in the D1B together and hopefully stay up there.
 
The 94 group and the 96 group are relatively strong but the 1995 group is weaker especially if you exclude Norbert Hari.

If they can win today, I think the goal is to make sure they don't get relegated back to 2A. We don't want to see the 96-97 group playing at this level.
 
Hungary-Netherlands: 7-2 Final

After 6 long years, Hungary will return to Division 1...

...hopefully they can stick around for a while.
 
I was watching a little bit of this game, was a little concerned there for a bit, but really happy for the Hungarians...hope they can hang with the next level...
 
Even though he is a '94, pretty impressive to see a Lithuanian lead the division in points. Also impressive to see a 17 year old in Gallos be right behind.

I was going through the teams and the main one to watch out for is Romania. There going to be losing a couple solid '94 players, but majority of their best and star players will be back for another year. I am not saying they will get promoted, but IMO I think they have a really good team for next years tournament.
 
Last edited:
I'm a Canadian who was denied a tryout with the Spanish junior team...even though I'm a Spanish citizen.

I have to say, I was quite miffed by the politics involved with the lower level countries' associations and national teams. These countries have plenty of good players with citizenship in North America, and I know of quite a few in a similar position to myself.

We extend ourselves to try and play for our national teams, and we know we're good enough to play D2 or lower, and get denied by the associations.

Very frustrating, but Spain has to still be one of the favorites from D2B, not only as the hosts but because they have a lot of returning players from last year's team which held their own in D2A. Korea and China are the other teams to watch in D2B this year.
 
S E P H said:
Even though he is a '93, pretty impressive to see a Lithuanian lead the division in points. Also impressive to see a 17 year old in Gallos be right behind.

I was going through the teams and the main one to watch out for is Romania. There going to be losing a couple solid '94 players, but majority of their best and star players will be back for another year. I am not saying they will get promoted, but IMO I think they have a really good team for next years tournament.
Click to expand...

Daniel Bogdziul will be the star for the Lithuanian national team. He led the senior team in points in last year's W.C.

...and Vilmos Gallo will be one of the stars for Hungary. He has a good chance to take over the scoring lead tomorrow when Hungary plays Croatia.

Hopefully, the Hungarians will stream the U18 WC in April so we can see Gallo and the rest of the 96-97 group play.
 
DemonsOnIce96 said:
I'm a Canadian who was denied a tryout with the Spanish junior team...even though I'm a Spanish citizen.

I have to say, I was quite miffed by the politics involved with the lower level countries' associations and national teams. These countries have plenty of good players with citizenship in North America, and I know of quite a few in a similar position to myself.

We extend ourselves to try and play for our national teams, and we know we're good enough to play D2 or lower, and get denied by the associations.

Very frustrating, but Spain has to still be one of the favorites from D2B, not only as the hosts but because they have a lot of returning players from last year's team which held their own in D2A. Korea and China are the other teams to watch in D2B this year.
Click to expand...

You're born in Canada? What I've talked with Spanish players, they think there are not many North American-born players who could make a difference with the national team. They also want to prevent a situation what you can see in Italian national team when half of the players come from North America and most of them doesn't even speak Italian. They want to keep the national team as pure as possible.

So I guess it's nothing personal, just their policy for representing a national team. For example New Zealand doesn't allow other but native New Zealanders for the national team. There is one in senior NT who was born in Canada but he has lived most of his life in New Zealand.

They could easily find suitable players from North America to climb up the ranks but they don't want to do it that way but build the system by themselves.
 
IceBlacks said:
You're born in Canada? What I've talked with Spanish players, they think there are not many North American-born players who could make a difference with the national team. They also want to prevent a situation what you can see in Italian national team when half of the players come from North America and most of them doesn't even speak Italian. They want to keep the national team as pure as possible.

So I guess it's nothing personal, just their policy for representing a national team. For example New Zealand doesn't allow other but native New Zealanders for the national team. There is one in senior NT who was born in Canada but he has lived most of his life in New Zealand.

They could easily find suitable players from North America to climb up the ranks but they don't want to do it that way but build the system by themselves.
Click to expand...

In Spain, a lot of minority sports (i.e. baseball and hockey) are region-specific.

Hockey is almost entirely in the North-east of Spain, and from what I've gathered during my time there it is seen one of the sports of the 'separatist' regions- Basque Country and the Catalans.

I'm from the South, and while I'd like to think in an ideal world that it had nothing to do with it, I feel as though there's definitely a close-knit feel to the Spanish NT Program, one which is preventing the game's growth in the country.
 
Kiraly said:
Daniel Bogdziul will be the star for the Lithuanian national team. He led the senior team in points in last year's W.C.
Click to expand...

Not really. He hasn't got much skill and his size, reach and speed are not going to do it in the higher level (his MHL stats suggest that too). He only led the senior team in points because it was a team missing almost entire top-9. He got tons of ice time, great linemates in Aivaras Bendžius and Aimas Fiščevas and they simple feasted on demoralized Estonia where he got 8 out of his 9 points (Lithuania won 12-3).

Considering Lithuanian level he's going to be a solid player but his linemates in this WJC deserve a lot of credit for his production and can end up being a better senior players.

His brother though, can be something special.
 
Last edited:
croatia - estonia 1:0 estonians seam to be ready for the fall. i thought they would be better than romanians.. but....
 
SoundAndFury said:
Not really. He hasn't got much skill and his size, reach and speed are not going to do it in the higher level (his MHL stats suggest that too). He only led the senior team in points because it was a team missing almost entire top-9. He got tons of ice time, great linemates in Aivaras Bendžius and Aimas FiÅ¡čevas and they simple feasted on demoralized Estonia where he got 8 out of his 9 points (Lithuania won 12-3).

Considering Lithuanian level he's going to be a solid player but his linemates in this WJC deserve a lot of credit for his production and can end up being a better senior players.

His brother though, can be something special.
Click to expand...

How old is his brother and where is he playing ?
 
DemonsOnIce96 said:
In Spain, a lot of minority sports (i.e. baseball and hockey) are region-specific.

Hockey is almost entirely in the North-east of Spain, and from what I've gathered during my time there it is seen one of the sports of the 'separatist' regions- Basque Country and the Catalans.

I'm from the South, and while I'd like to think in an ideal world that it had nothing to do with it, I feel as though there's definitely a close-knit feel to the Spanish NT Program, one which is preventing the game's growth in the country.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm very well aware that hockey is mostly played in Basque Country and Catalonia. I just wrote with a friend of mine a big article about Spanish hockey to one Finnish hockey website :)

But what I don't know is why it hasn't got more popularity in the southern parts of the country. In fact the first hockey arena was built 100 years ago in Madrid. I don't know if the federation haven't done enough work for it or why the game has limited to relatively small area.
 
ficohok said:
How old is his brother and where is he playing ?
Click to expand...

He's 15, plays for the Pori Assat at the junior level. It's obviously very early but he's one of the leaders on that team so if he keeps working he can easily be the best Lithuanian since Dainius Zubrus. It think we might have a better look at him in U18 championship.

SMantzas said:
How has Gavrus looked and do you think he has a chance at a NA pro career?
Click to expand...

Not spectacular and there's definitely no chance for an NHL career. His skating just isn't good enough for such a small guy to survive in NA.
 
DemonsOnIce96 said:
I'm a Canadian who was denied a tryout with the Spanish junior team...even though I'm a Spanish citizen.

I have to say, I was quite miffed by the politics involved with the lower level countries' associations and national teams. These countries have plenty of good players with citizenship in North America, and I know of quite a few in a similar position to myself.

We extend ourselves to try and play for our national teams, and we know we're good enough to play D2 or lower, and get denied by the associations.

Very frustrating, but Spain has to still be one of the favorites from D2B, not only as the hosts but because they have a lot of returning players from last year's team which held their own in D2A. Korea and China are the other teams to watch in D2B this year.
Click to expand...

Not to argue about the politics involved, which happen at all levels and countries, but you may also have been denied due to the IIHF rules. National team players can only play for a team if they are both a citizen and have played two years in that country (four if they played for another national team previously). There are exceptions, but they are rare and only happen in unusual circumstances. Its done so that countries with large diaspora communities can't sign up a bunch of North Americans, as the IIHF's mandate is to grow the sport, and that certainly doesn't help.

To that extent they've banned the Armenian national team twice in the past 10 years, as they did exactly that: signed a bunch of guys from California and dominated Division III, even though most of them had never been to Armenia before, and certainly didn't play in an Armenian-based league. It made a mockery of the system, and after a short ban of a few years they did it again, and have now been expelled for a while, and are not likely to come back unless they actually do something domestically.
 
DemonsOnIce96 said:
Croatia has really floundered the past two tournaments, huh? :shakehead
Click to expand...

Nothing to be suprised about. Last year we expectedly were relegated from D1B as nobody couldn't score for us, but at least we didn't embarrased ourselves. Considering thightness of this year's group (apart from Hungary) again it is no suprise that we are relegated. Players born in 94. and 95. played nothing apart from croatian (almost beer) league. However I expect that this team make quick return to D2A for 2016.

Only good thing in this darkness is that several (key) players are eligible for U18 in spring where Croatia will defend second place in D2A.
 
CaseyPierroZabotel17 said:
Does anyone know if any of the players in DIIA have any potential for careers in NA? Maybe even in the CHL?
Click to expand...
Well, it depends what you mean under North America. Sure, a bunch of them could play in North America in the lower leagues, for instance in the GMHL and similar leagues.

But I assume that you are asking whether any of them could play in the QMJHL, OHL and WHL and then in the AHL or NHL? That's a long shot away but it's not out of the question. Just take a look at Nathan Walker from Australia, who now plays in the AHL.
 
CaseyPierroZabotel17 said:
Does anyone know if any of the players in DIIA have any potential for careers in NA? Maybe even in the CHL?
Click to expand...

Many of them has it if you mean the Central Hockey League

:sarcasm:

On more serious note, any player with CHL import level talent would finish this tournament with 20+ points at the age of 16. So no, there are none of those. Although I remember Lithuanian Edgar Rybakov being drafted #4 at CHL Import draft so stranger this have happened, guy like Erdely could give it a shot, he wouldn't be terrible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom