WC: IIHF World Championships - Division IIIA

[ozo]

I have nothing of real value to say, but I just would like to voice my curiousness about why Uzbekistan is still not having a team. Besides having more hockey traditions historically in Soviet Union times, they currently have a good, full foreigner filled team in Kazakhstan league that can "Uzbekify" itself in no time. They also are icing an actual junior national team that got their asses whopped against Belarus counterparts so they surely have more hockey in them than their neighbors like Kyrgizstan and Turkmenistan. Weird.

 

[carjackmalone]

Couldn’t he play Canadian college hockey ?

 

[Albatros]

I have nothing of real value to say, but I just would like to voice my curiousness about why Uzbekistan is still not having a team. Besides having more hockey traditions historically in Soviet Union times, they currently have a good, full foreigner filled team in Kazakhstan league that can "Uzbekify" itself in no time. They also are icing an actual junior national team that got their asses whopped against Belarus counterparts so they surely have more hockey in them than their neighbors like Kyrgizstan and Turkmenistan. Weird.

They used to have one of the better arenas in the Soviet Union and a decent team to go with it, but when times changed the arena was converted into a commercial building thus killing off hockey. Only the last decade or so they've been opening new skating facilities again and there are still only 27 registered players in men's hockey according to the IIHF (minimum 60 are required), for example Kyrgyzstan has 1,700. But junior players are coming up and it's only a matter of time before they join the major IIHF competitions, their U18 team has already proven that they can do well against Division III opponents. Last year they also had a senior team playing a couple of games in Kazan, but it was full of ineligible Russians (including former KHLers) so clearly that will take a while longer.

Soviet times in Tashkent:

Recently reconstructed new version:

 

[aquaregia]

Only managed to catch a couple of games of this but saw Thailand shellack Turkmenistan 13-3, don't think I've seen a more hapless goaltending performance at any level of the game, all of Thailand's first three shots were goals, and two of those on the short side!

Mexico been disappointing too for sure, but if Myradov is starting again then maybe they can hold out some hope of avoiding the drop later today?


Also, since promotion is already guaranteed, how do you reckon Thailand will cope in IIB? @tiburon12

 

[aquaregia]

damn tempted fate there, Santiago Gomez having an even worse time and just been hooked after shipping 5 goals on 9 shots, Mexico facing back-to-back relegations

 

[tiburon12]

Only managed to catch a couple of games of this but saw Thailand shellack Turkmenistan 13-3, don't think I've seen a more hapless goaltending performance at any level of the game, all of Thailand's first three shots were goals, and two of those on the short side!

Mexico been disappointing too for sure, but if Myradov is starting again then maybe they can hold out some hope of avoiding the drop later today?


Also, since promotion is already guaranteed, how do you reckon Thailand will cope in IIB? @tiburon12

It depends on a few factors, but I'd also like to say that while I'm knowledgable about Thai hockey because they are my friends ands I play with them, I know nothing about any team in IIB.

On Thailand's side, they are lucky that they goalie is in his early 20's and already very good for this level. They also have two 17 year old defensemen coming up who are strong players that with the right training and exposure could be in the top-4 in a few years. How they mature will be big because it will finally give Thailand 6 D they can rely on.

I also wonder if this win will be a magnet for Thai players around the world who might want to be a part of growing Thai hockey.

Externally let's see how Taiwan handles IIB. If they can hang I think Thailand can. Thailand's team will be better than this year's.

 

[aquaregia]

yeah agreed on Kleineschay looking a cut above the other goalies in the division, mirrored Taiwan's ascent in that sense as they also counted on strong goaltending.

IIB does contain Georgia who 10-0ed Thailand in the Olympic qualifiers recently, but they're much better than the rest of the teams in that division at least on paper, and are only there because of player eligibility issues which sent them down (otherwise the were second in IIA). So perhaps if everyone else in IIB is being beaten by similar margins you can take heart haha.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Chinese Taipei played against Turkey in OGQ, so 2 of the weakest D2B teams, and it was a close game. So if Thailand losing to Chinese Taipei 11-2 last year actually reflects their level, they have absolutely 0 chance at 2B. If it does not, you still need to think about how Thailand stacks up against these kinds of teams.

 

[Albatros]

Last year Thailand had Aarola and Nagayama but no Lampson, so more depth last year but a better top line this time around which clearly paid off. If their domestic players will keep improving and they manage to bring in their best imports then it should be getting closer. I don't envision Taiwan having a dramatically different team, Hsiao not getting any games in college (ACHA D1) might be a concern given that they don't have any other legit goalie options and also his talented skater brothers vanished from the radar in recent years. On the other hand in Alzon they now have a fairly established pro in defense. But anyway Taiwan still needs first to survive Division IIB this year, the one game against Turkey might very well be the only one that counts for both teams. Though Taiwan gets to start with another jetlagged team in New Zealand which might be a plus.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Last year Thailand had Aarola and Nagayama but no Lampson, so more depth last year but a better top line this time around which clearly paid off. If their domestic players will keep improving and they manage to bring in their best imports then it should be getting closer. I don't envision Taiwan having a dramatically different team, Hsiao not getting any games in college (ACHA D1) might be a concern given that they don't have any other legit goalie options and also his talented skater brothers vanished from the radar in recent years. On the other hand in Alzon they now have a fairly established pro in defense. But anyway Taiwan still needs first to survive Division IIB this year, the one game against Turkey might very well be the only one that counts for both teams. Though Taiwan gets to start with another jetlagged team in New Zealand which might be a plus.

Remember seeing Lampson play high school hockey. How did he wind up playing for Thailand?

 

[tiburon12]

yeah agreed on Kleineschay looking a cut above the other goalies in the division, mirrored Taiwan's ascent in that sense as they also counted on strong goaltending.

IIB does contain Georgia who 10-0ed Thailand in the Olympic qualifiers recently, but they're much better than the rest of the teams in that division at least on paper, and are only there because of player eligibility issues which sent them down (otherwise the were second in IIA). So perhaps if everyone else in IIB is being beaten by similar margins you can take heart haha.

Well this isn't to excuse Thailand too much but they didn't really prepare for that tournament like they did the WC. I think they saw the teams they would play and went into the tournament looking for experience only. Plus Lampson didn't play and he is their best player.

Last year Thailand had Aarola and Nagayama but no Lampson, so more depth last year but a better top line this time around which clearly paid off. If their domestic players will keep improving and they manage to bring in their best imports then it should be getting closer.

I think both of those players are done with Thai hockey. Aarola is going back to Finland and Nagayama is pursuing a career in acting. Personally, I think losing Aarola is a bigger blow because he is an experienced pro, whereas Nagayama is a kid Thai hockey put a lot of stock in but he's lost the passion for it, and it's better he sits then the org trying to force him minutes over someone else.

W/r/t imports, there is still a waiting period before they are allowed to play, and they need to be in Thailand for a certain period too. That's why Lampson didn't play even though he came in 2021.

Remember seeing Lampson play high school hockey. How did he wind up playing for Thailand?

He said he finished his service and didn't know what to do, so he came to Thailand since his mom is Thai and found hockey here and stayed. He cockily DM'd our league social media page and said he wanted to play and that he would be the best player. Turns out he was right lol