FeedSwedish Gold
January 5, 2012 in International Hockey, Kontinental Hockey League, World Junior Championship Tags: KHL, Kontinental Hockey League, MIka Zibanejad, Salavat Yulaev, Ufa, World Junior Championship
It was the only goal of the game, scored by the son of an Iranian father and Swedish mother, and it brought to a close the 2012 World Juniors in spectacular fashion.
Mika Zibanejad scored in overtime to give Sweden the gold in this year’s World Junior Championship, their first gold in 31 years, and what a happy group they were as they celebrated on the ice. And what a sad bunch the Russians were at the other end.
Congratulations Sweden. A real nice-looking hockey team. But all the teams were mighty fine, and every year I ask myself how such young guys can play such great hockey.
Next year the tournament is in Ufa, Russia, located about 1500 kilometers east of Moscow and closer to Asia than anywhere else. Somehow I can’t see Ufa doing it up in style the way Edmonton and Calgary did, but maybe they’ll surprise us. It’s a city of a million people, and is the home of Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League.
But the way it’s always such a mega-hit here, am I bad to suggest, as others have too, that the World Juniors should be held in Canada every year?
January 6th, 2012 at 9:25 am
Hey Dennis
Remember when a bolstered Powell River Regals lost 2-0 to Salavat Yulaev in the 2007 Polese Cup in Belarus.Chad Vizzutti was spectacular!
http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/11728/la_id/1/ss_id/22005/game_id/1128.htm
Doug
January 6th, 2012 at 11:06 am
Hey Dennis,Well let me say that was a hockey game,the Russiand were skating well but looked tired from time to time.I guess thats why the shot total was so one sided.Makarov stood on his head ,literally and played a phenominal game for his teamSweden just couldn’t place one by him for the first 70 minutes.I enjoyed watching that last nite,very good hockey.I just wished it could have been our lads fighting for the first place title.
January 6th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Derry, we love the World Juniors. That’s why it should be here every year. What great hockey.
January 6th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Doug, that was before Salavat was a part of the KHL and I’m willing to bet it wasn’t quite the same calibre back then.
January 6th, 2012 at 11:05 pm
I’ve been hearing stories that the Russian team were very poor losers. I don’t understand why, but supposedly they refused to wear their silver medals.
January 7th, 2012 at 6:00 am
Chris, I saw when it was time to get their silver they took it in their hands and not around their necks. I don’t understand whu either. But then again, they’ve always been a mystery wrapped in an enigma etc. (except Luci).
January 7th, 2012 at 10:15 am
Hi Dennis
Certainly the KHL is a much better league than the RSL.Salavat Yulaev were the last RSL champion(2007-2008).The final RSL standings for the 2006-2007 season were :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006%E2%80%9307_Russian_Superleague_season
Konstantin Koltsov played for the Belarus National Team during the 2007 Polese Cup but played for Salavat Yulaev in the RSL.
Info about RSL :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Superleague
Doug