2021 IIHF World Junior Championship: EXHIBITION GAMES

EXHIBITION GAMES 22 Dec. 16:00 Switzerland - Austria 3-2 22 Dec. 19:30 Finland - USA 2-3 23 Dec. 16:00 Canada - Russia 1-0 23 Dec. 19:30 Slovakia - Czech Republic 0-6 From Canada vs Russia (exh.) - 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship The mission of the IIHF is to govern, develop and promote men’s and women’s ice hockey, in all forms and at all ages, including the development of coaches and officials, worldwide. The IIHF approach to developing the game globally is to support the Member National Associations (MNA) with the development of ice hockey in their nations. The IIHF Development Hub provides MNAs, Clubs and other stakeholders with supportive resources to organize and operate development and educational programs. However, it is important to note that these resources alone are not sufficient. They are to be utilized in planned and organized Programs which holistically help the respective people perform their duties to the best of their capabilities and potential. Click below to access more information: From The IIHF has digital offerings including this website, the bi-monthly newsletter Ice Times as well as great material on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, VK in Russian and YouTube for the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. From Four games over two exciting days of hockey saw three games decided by one goal as teams completed their final preparations for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. On the eve of opening puck drop, the IIHF has announced the latest results from the pre-competition COVID-19 testing of all players, staff, and tournament officials in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship Bubble.  Since the teams have entered the competition bubble, a total of 5,586 tests have been conducted on all players, staff, and game officials.  The IIHF would like to share the following updates: -Ten players and eight staff members from Team Germany have been released from quarantine and will begin to practice -They will join the six players who had previously been released from quarantine -One additional player on Team Germany tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update and must remain in quarantine until at least 4th January -Three of the eight players that tested positive for COVID-19 last week must remain in quarantine until 27 December. The remaining players must remain in quarantine until at least 29th December -There are no positive cases among the nine other participating teams -From the tests conducted on game officials as well as IIHF, Local Organizing Committee, and broadcast personnel, there have been no positive cases reported For the first time since 2005, the World Junior Championship will begin on 25th December with three feature games, which includes the United States taking on Russia. All team staff and players as well as all on- and off-ice officials will continue to receive daily testing throughout the tournament. The Event Executive Committee has been receiving regular updates via the Event Medical Committee and will continue to review the testing results. “We welcome the German team into the World Junior Championship and thank them for their incredible cooperation and diligence in following the quarantine rules,” said the Event Executive Committee in a statement. “We will continue to rigorously adhere to our plan as we maintain a bubble environment where the primary focus is the health and safety of the community and the event participants.” From

IIHF World Junior Championship: Russian Machine 2020

Terry Jones: Edmonton picturesque in TSN's global presentation of world juniors It was a game you’d figure most people would draw their drapes on if it were played in their backyard.And it drew an average audience of 2.1 million people! Canada’s Boxing Day opener, that 16-2 eyesore win over the German team that had to play with 14 skaters due to nine players with positive coronavirus tests checking into the bubble, drew an astounding average audience. Because of the holidays, the TV “overnights” rating numbers weren’t available until just after Team Canada extended their all-time record against Switzerland to 25-0 with a 10-0 win Tuesday in a game you might figure to have the TV ratings of the Shaw Cable fireplace. Canada’s Connor Zary (9) can’t get the puck past Switzerland’s goalie Noah Patenaude (1) during the IIHF world junior hockey championships on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. Greg Southam / Postmedia PHOTO BY GREG SOUTHAM /Postmedia “Two million viewers for a game in today’s world is huge,” said Paul Graham, TSN’s vice-president and executive producer. “We have great expectations based on that number for the entire tournament. We know the ratings will be consistently good for Team Canada. Advertisement STORY CONTINUES BELOW This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content continued Several countries have future stars of NHL Canadian teams, like Ottawa draft pick Tim Stutzle with Germany. He has been amazing. And here in Edmonton they’ll be watching Sweden’s captain, Philip Broberg. “Our signal goes to 12 countries and Sweden, Finland, Russia and USA air every game. Our projections, even with the odd hours of the games in Europe, are now that the reach of this tournament will exceed 100 million viewers worldwide. The feedback from the nations taking the world feed has been super positive.” The job being done by Team TSN, led by Graham, game producer Chris Edwards and play-by-play man Gord Miller, all Edmonton born-and-raised talents, along with Bob McKenzie, James Duthie, Ray Ferraro, Craig Button, Edmonton’s Ryan Richaug and the entire behind-the-cameras team has been exceptional. “We have the best of the best when it comes to hockey crews and I would not hesitate to say our coverage here in the bubble is better than hockey at the Olympics,” said Graham. And Edmonton is the big benefactor. There were those who questioned the benefit of Edmonton, after the ballistic success of playing host to 81 NHL games in the Hub City bubble, going back to save the International Ice Hockey Federation world junior championships with a Hub City 2 event playing host to 32 more games here. Tuesday, the IIHF effectively announced now that they have all 10 teams safely in the Edmonton competition bubble, that they’ve conducted 8,167 tests on players, staff, game officials and the like, and have now joined the NHL in recording daily shutouts against COVID-19. Advertisement STORY CONTINUES BELOW This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content continued Tuesday, five of the nine German players who tested positive upon arrival were released from quarantine and have been allowed to rejoin the team. The city clearly is scoring another triumph here. And we’re not even to New Year’s Eve yet, and the quarter-final and medal-round games to follow. Graham, you should know, is playing a huge role in this, heading up not only TSN but the world feed for the IIHF, as well. But considering this edition is entirely a TV show being watched by everybody while self-isolating at home, gave Edmonton a great Christmas present by gift-wrapping the games. Perhaps you’ve noticed. Because he could, Graham — noting the effect of the “beauty shots” the people at Explore Edmonton provided the NHL for the Stanley Cup playoff games telecast out of here — believed it was possible to top that for the world junior telecasts to be shown throughout Europe and North America at the time of year that isn’t normally a beauty-shot season for the City of Champions & Championships. He put together a plan led by senior director Andy Bouvoukos and cameraman Darryl MacDonald to produce about two hours worth of drone shots of the city to open the telecasts and used to come in and out from intermissions and commercial breaks. They’re simply spectacular. They focus on Rogers Place alone in the afternoon sun and throughout the day and are highlighted by sunset shots with the brilliantly coloured sky reflecting off the silver-sided contours of the arena and the reflective sides and windows of the Stantec Tower and J.W. Marriott. There are night shots with the venue bathed in spotlights with the skyline and the glimmering lights of the city in the background as the drone moves around the building and downtown Edmonton. Advertisement STORY CONTINUES BELOW This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content continued There’s also morning to night skyline footage, much of it featuring the castle-like look of the Hotel Macdonald in the foreground. The night shots feature Christmas lights on the buildings and the changing colours of the Muttart Conservatory in the foreground, again from a variety of angles with dozens of drone trips past the new and already iconic Walterdale Bridge, both in daylight and lit up at night with the skyline in the background, as well. As outstanding a job as the NHL did for Edmonton for the Stanley Cup telecasts with all those hours of daylight and Edmonton’s magnificent river valley to work with, this tops it. Better phrased, it completes it. The combination of the two, for a total of 113 telecasts of games, is a two-season identity and image-changer. “We sent our European network partners the scenic for advance promotion and they were very visible in all our games,” said Graham. E-mail: tjones@postmedia.com

IIHF World Junior Championship 2020-21: Who to watch in Edmonton

The IIHF World Junior Championship is on its way and will be played at a time when many people across the globe are celebrating a much quieter holiday season than usual due to the global Covid-19 pandemic and may be happier to stay home with the World Juniors to watch. With no less than the NHL and most junior leagues across North America and parts of Europe on hold, it was felt that this U20 tournament could end up being one for the ages as every nation would theoretically have access to all its best players under the age of 20. Alas, the coronavirus has put a huge dent in those hopes as several of the participating nations had players or staff members that have tested positive and couldn’t travel. Despite all the challenges the tournament organizers and participating teams are facing, this year’s World Juniors will feature more high-end talent than you can shake a stick at. In prelude to the upcoming game play, we’d like to introduce you to a number of players from the ten teams you’ll want to keep an eye on throughout the tournament. Russia One of the heavy favourites for gold, Russia is bringing a line-up to Edmonton that is chock full of future NHL and KHL stars. No less than 18 members of this edition have already been drafted by an NHL team, five of which in the first round, and young defenceman Danil Chaika is expected to be a first rounder next summer. Like Canada, teams are going to have to go through Russia to earn gold. G Yaroslav Askarov Hands down, the most highly touted goaltender entering this tournament. He was the author of some shaky play in last winter’s World Juniors but has otherwise been outstanding in international and domestic plays in recent years, enough so that the Nashville Predators made him the 11th overall pick in this fall’s NHL Draft. Askarov is one of arguably just two goaltenders entering this tournament who can carry a team to a medal and it’d basically be shocking if he didn’t. D Shakir Mukhamadullin He may not be Russia’s top defenceman when all is said and done, but he’s been a polarizing name worth watching in prospect circles. Drafted 20th overall this fall by the New Jersey Devils, he started his KHL season on fire, but has cooled off considerably in recent weeks. Clear is, however, that Mukhamadullin has all the tools necessary to make a significant impact over a short period of time, if dialled in properly. Will he be in Edmonton? F Mikhail Abramov A mid-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Abramov is a grandpa of sorts for this team. Currently in his third season of QMJHL hockey, having stacked up 14 points in nine games, Abramov brings considerable North American experience to the table and as is offensively established as anyone on this team. RW Vasili Podkolzin The team’s captain, Podkolzin, is the guy who’s here to show everyone else how to win this thing. A 10th-overall pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the 2019 NHL Draft, Podkolzin likes to use his 192 cm, 92 kg body to play the game anyway necessary to win. Currently in his second full season of KHL play, this powerful winger will be taking a regular shift in his third, and most important, World Juniors. Expect to see him on the ice in all important phases of the game, while a visit or two to the penalty box can also be expected. Slovakia This is one of the more discrete line-ups Slovakia has had in recent years and the situation didn’t get any better when forward Maxim Cajkovic, Slovakia’s most established international U20 player, was suspended from the team as a disciplinary measure after no less than knocking defenceman Sam Krajc out of tournament play with a check deemed inappropriate by the program. G Samuel Hlavaj Hlavaj is a beast of a man in goal at 191 cm and 97 kg. This is also his third World Juniors and it would be hard to imagine anyone upending him in goal heading into the tournament. He’s also coming in with USHL and QMJHL experience, thus well-acquainted with not only North American competition, but also the North American rinks and hockey climate as well. D Simon Nemec He may not even see much ice time, but Nemec is just 16 years old and already taking a regular shift in Slovakia’s top league. He also weighs in at 187 cm and 87 kg, meaning he’s got a man’s body. With no relegation possible, his participation would be a huge investment in the future. RW Martin Chromiak Clearly the most established and offensive weapon up front, he’s also the only NHL draft pick up front as well. And that, just barely. Having been thought of as a possible first round pick this past fall, the Los Angeles Kings were able to snag him in the 5th round. What this nonetheless means is that Chromiak not only has some doubters to prove something too, but the responsibility of carrying his team’s offensive hopes. His performance against particularly Germany and Switzerland will be critical for Slovakia’s playoff hopes. Sweden The story for Sweden, which many viewed as one of the top three entries heading into this tournament, has been the wave of players and personnel (including the head coach) who’ll not be along for the ride due to Covid-19 infections before departing Edmonton. It is a true pity for Sweden and for the entire international community, which otherwise would have been exposed to the special talents of no less than William Eklund, Karl Henriksson, and Albin Grewe. But the team they’re bringing is certainly medal-capable nonetheless and features several of the absolute most important stars we’ll be seeing over the next few weeks. G Hugo Alnefelt Yes, yes, Alnefelt certainly has competition from within from young Jesper Wallstedt, but Alnefelt is considered one of the top U20 goaltenders on the planet and the Tampa Lightning prospect is in the midst of his second full SHL season. Technically sound in so many ways, yet highly flexible and quick when the opponents demand it of him, Alnefelt went 5-1 at this tournament a year ago, making him the most successfully established puckstopper heading in. We know he’s capable of backstopping a medallist from winning bronze one year ago, but will the medal be of a different colour this time? D Philip Broberg He’s big, he’s dynamic, and he loves to skate like the wind. In addition, he’ll be showing off his stuff in the arena he’ll soon be starting off his NHL career in. A first-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, 8th overall in 2019, Broberg has been racking up top line minutes in the SHL this season, his third year in Sweden’s professional hockey scene. Multifaceted and heady, this thoroughbred will surely be galivanting all over the ice whenever he’s up to bat. You’re going to notice him, and not only for the C on his chest. D Victor Soderstrom Another first-round draft pick (Arizona), Soderstrom had a real nice 2019/20 season for Brynas in the SHL and is currently on loan one tier below to AIK in the HockeyAllsvenskan. It’s felt he’d be lacing up the skates for Arizona already in January, but the strategist will first be contending in his second World Juniors as one of Sweden’s absolute key players. With six points and a +5 rating in seven games last winter, Soderstrom already has one year as a top defenceman in the tournament behind him. Expect him to want to pick up where he left off. RW Alexander Holtz There but a few true snipers heading into this tournament and Holtz may just be the best of them. After nine goals last season Djurgarden of the SHL, he’s got six in 19 games to accompany 13 points in this season and has hit a ton of posts along the way. More importantly, he’s been racking up the points for years internationally, scoring profusely for every Swedish national team he’s suited up for, including three goals and five points in last winter’s tournament as a true underager. In light of Sweden’s losses heading into the tournament, the immense value of his goal-scoring pensum is dialled up now and will simply have to be on display if Sweden is going to head home with a chunk of medal. F Lucas Raymond It’s a bit unclear what position the 4th-overall pick in this fall’s draft will be playing at this tournament after Sweden lost several of its top centre candidates to the coronavirus, but be aware that Raymond just may have the slickest hands in this tournament whatsoever. It’s not just the incredible moves and slippery tricks he’s got, but the vision that allows him to set up teammates in the most prime of shooting positions, often completely unsuspectingly. For Sweden to medal, Raymond is going to have to be a top producer and a dominant power play player. He is very capable and you’re not going to want to miss out on seeing him in action. Switzerland The Swiss head into the tournament lacking any of the clear-cut, internationally recognized go-to players they’ve usually had at this tournament, for example, Timo Meier and Nico Hischier. Instead, the strength will have to be in the collective, daily effort of all participants, despite several notable exceptions. G Noah Patenaude With experience out of parts of two seasons in the QMJHL, the young Patenaude is one of the more intriguing names on the team and a player who could be the difference maker in the crucial games against Germany and Slovakia. He also has another year of U20 eligibility, so there’s a lot for Coach Bayer to gain by letting Noah gather some experience in Edmonton. D Inaki Baragano A member of the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL last season, the small and shifty defenceman will be one of Switzerland’s key players in this tournament and is geared to rack up a lot of important minutes. He may be the team’s chief weapon from the blueline on the power play as well. RW Simon Knak Thought of very highly in Swiss circles for a good long while now, Knak spent last season with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, where he came in with high expectations. Despite moments of brilliance, the penny never really dropped, and his season was disappointing enough to see him go undrafted this fall. Thanks to size, skating, and some amazing hands, he is nonetheless the best pure offensive player on this team and should be playing in this tournament with a real chip on his shoulders. F Lorenzo Canonica Just 17, the slick Lugano product scheduled to play this season with Shawinigan of the QMJHL is primed and ready to let the international community know exactly who he is and why they should be talking about him. Don’t be surprised if his name keeps popping up on the scoresheet. USA The USA is entering this tournament with a bad taste in its mouth. After playing a successful, but unconvincing preliminary round in last year’s show, a 1-0 loss to Finland in the quarter-finals tossed out a team many had thought should be contending for gold – at least on paper. Now another line-up full of future NHLers will hit the ice and has its work cut out for it. An inexperienced but highly versatile blueline is the team’s major positional concern heading in, but has the potential to be a much more effective overall group than we saw 12 months ago. Oh, and get used to forwards whose names begin with the letter ‘B’. G Spencer Knight What we wrote about Russia’s Askarov almost completely applies to Knight, as he is the only other goaltender entering this tournament with this many expectations on his shoulders. Sure, people thought that about him last winter and your goaltender is hardly at fault for a 1-0 loss, but let there be no doubt that when a game is tight for Team USA, the whole hockey community is expecting Knight to be the difference. He expects that of himself as well. C Trevor Zegras What a trip it’s been for the 2019 9th-overall pick. A returnee for Team USA, Zegras entered last winter’s tournament as a bit of an extra and went on to lead the team in scoring with nine points (all assists) in five games. That and his 36 points in 33 college hockey games for Boston University led to a quick entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks. That he’s here with this U.S. squad is partially due in part to the NHL season first starting on 13 January, because it’s believed he has a good shot at playing in the NHL this season. Beforehand, however, he’ll be counted on to whip up another dose of offence similar to last winter’s outstanding statistics. LW Matt Boldy Boldy is the entire package and is entering this tournament with eight points in four college hockey games after a freshman season that saw him put up 26 points in 34 games. Of good physical size and demeanour, Boldy simply does it all, and he does it all at a rate that can be understood as above average. He’s arguably got the same type of playmaking instincts as the aforementioned Zegras and will add the kind of hockey sense that allows a player to impact literally every shift. The U.S. is going to need him at his best. RW Cole Caufield He’s mighty small and he’s mighty productive. A player for whom size has never been an issue, the 170 cm tall Caufield is felt to have perhaps the best nose for the net of any player at this tournament. His six goals and 12 points in 10 games with the University of Wisconsin does nothing but back that belief, especially after his 36 points in 36 games there as a freshman. We also feel he’s entering this tournament with a huge chip on his shoulder as he managed only one goal in the previous, disappointing World Juniors campaign and that’s a fact he will want to firmly bury in the past as he writes much different story this winter. C Matthew Beniers We’ll conclude this article in a very fitting manner, because this is a player you’re going to want to pay very close attention to and we feel you may not yet know a whole lot about him. This may change considerably over the next two weeks. Beniers just recently turned 18 and is already playing college hockey for a stacked University of Michigan team. He would have surely been on the U.S. squad scheduled for the U18 Worlds as an underager, had the tournament not been lost to the pandemic. Now he’s here and bringing an undeniable skills package to the table. You shouldn’t be surprised in the least if he comes out of nowhere to make one of the biggest impacts around at this tournament. For certain, the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship is going to be chock full of talent and talented young men whose careers will surely see a few become future Olympians and World Championship winners. You’re going to want to catch them all, but we can’t imagine you’ll miss out on any of the names above while doing so. Enjoy the action!

Larionov ready to lead Russia in Edmonton

From WORLD MEN U20 Canada vs. Russia (Final) - 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship From https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2021/wm20/tournamentinfo/22691/exhibition-games All games will be played without attendance at Rogers Place in Edmonton. From 780-414-LIVE (5483) From info@rogersplace.com From TEXT ASSIST Requiring assistance while in attendance at Rogers Place? Text us at 587-207-HELP (4357). Text Assist is only monitored during events at Rogers Place. From The first chapter in Igor Larionov’s self-titled 1990 autobiography, released in English after he joined the Vancouver Canucks, is called “A Long Way From Home.” The last chapter is “Victory.” Many things have changed in the last 30 years, but once again, the Russian hockey legend is a long way from home, seeking new victories in Western Canada. Instead of feathering NHL passes to fellow World Junior ace Pavel Bure in Vancouver, Larionov, 60, is making his debut as Russia’s head coach at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton. In 2020, this IIHF Triple Gold Club member was an assistant coach under Valeri Bragin, who has since taken over the senior national team. Russia led Canada 3-1 in the third period of the final in Ostrava, Czech Republic, but the Canadians roared back to win 4-3 on Akil Thomas’s late goal. Despite sophisticated tastes ranging from chess to wine, Larionov has never lost his thirst for hockey victories. Now, during one of the strangest years in our sport’s history, he’s aiming to revive the spirit of his early U20 successes. The Voskresensk native established his cerebral, playmaking game in IIHF competition with the Soviet Union, winning gold medals at the 1979 World Juniors in Sweden and 1980 World Juniors in Finland. From there, the 175-cm, 77-kg wizard became a two-time Olympic champion (1984, 1988) and four-time World Champion (1982, 1983, 1986, 1989), centering the lethal KLM Line with Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makarov. Larionov also captured three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings (1997, 1998, 2002). Larionov played for some of the most famous coaches in hockey history, including Viktor Tikhonov, Scotty Bowman, and Pat Burns. However, “The Professor,” who previously worked as an NHL player agent, will put his own distinctive stamp on a high-octane team seeking Russia’s first World Junior gold medal since 2011 in Buffalo. With five NHL first-round picks, the U20 squad represented Russia at the annual, four-team Karjala Cup in Helsinki in November. Competing against men, they surprised the hockey world by emerging victorious with wins over Finland (6-2), Sweden (2-1, SO), and the Czech Republic (3-0). IIHF.com caught up with Larionov recently. As a player, you won everything you could. What motivated you to come back as a coach? The motivation is to lead the boys into the top-level competition at the World Juniors and give them guidance and confidence. To help them in terms of power and skill and domination. To be the top team, you’ve got to tick all those boxes and to play as a group, as a team. So that’s the goal. And to me, obviously, I’d like to see the Russian flag at the end of the tournament and hear the Russian anthem. In 2015, you wrote a piece for The Players’ Tribune where you said you wished there was more creativity in today’s NHL. You said about teenage players: “Why aren’t coaches pushing them to create a masterpiece?” With this World Junior team, are you pushing them to create a masterpiece? Absolutely. Yeah, that’s the goal. That’s the reason I was looking – for myself and my colleagues and my assistant coaches – for skill. We’re looking for maybe a different approach toward these young players. We want them to play the game they played as kids. Now they’re 18 or 19, so you’ve got to let them go through some mistakes to get the confidence back and to play the team game. So it’s all about improvising every time you step on the ice and playing the game we used to play in the Russian Five in Detroit and with the KLM unit back in the day in the Soviet Union. So far, I can see from the tournament in November and in our camp outside Moscow, the boys are really starting to gel and really getting the concept of playing a collective game. No matter who scores, at the end of the day, when we play the right way, we’re playing for each other. So the result’s going to take care of itself. What enabled your boys to win the Karjala Cup against many older and more experienced players? You know what? We had no pressure. We told the boys: “It’s a privilege to be able to play hockey, and this is the situation.” They got to play against men’s teams, the national teams of Finland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. And I told them: “We don’t have to look at them. We have to look at how we play.” I guess they – in a short period of time – gelled and started to play well. We made some mistakes, but at the same time, they also had good intentions and brave decisions, smart decisions. They gave us a chance to compete, to stay on the same level as those teams. At the end of the tournament, we were lucky to win all three games. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your preparations for these World Juniors? We were taken to a facility outside Moscow. It’s very restricted, like a bubble rehearsal before the World Juniors in Edmonton. So the boys were very particular and professional in terms of staying together, no outside contacts with anybody. Right now, we’re in full gear, ready to go, and setting our minds on a good tournament. Back in the 1980’s, with CSKA Moscow and the Soviet national team, you spent 11 months of the year training in a compound. Can you use that experience of isolation to help you in the World Junior bubble? It might help me, but I don’t think it’s going to help the boys. You know, I was fighting against that many years ago, to give the players some freedom to enjoy the game and to be home with their families and friends. So now, with this pandemic, it’s a new circumstance. But at the same time, you’ve got to use that opportunity to see the boys every day, talk to them, sit with them in the locker room, see them on the ice, see them in the gym and training room, and see them in the dining room. That’s also very beneficial. I’m not sure it’s going to work in the long term, but for this tournament, I hope it’s going to be a good experience and going to help us. How did you enjoy your opportunity to work as Valeri Bragin’s assistant coach at last year’s World Juniors, and what did you learn from him? That was a good experience to be behind the bench with a coach who knows youth hockey really well. He’s been successful at bringing medals almost every year to Russia. To me, it was kind of an introduction inside that locker room, to see the boys and see how this team trains and does certain things. I guess I’ve used that experience to create my own path with this team. You wound up with a silver medal in Ostrava. What was the missing piece that stopped the 2020 team from going all the way? The key word is “discipline.” We have to be disciplined. We have to be mentally strong to go through any circumstances, whatever happens in the game. You can never predict what is going to happen. But we have to be willing to sacrifice, willing to be patient. I guess that one detail was missing last year, so we lost to Canada 4-3 in the final. At camp this year, who impressed you with his work ethic and attention to detail? I don’t think it would be fair to mention any names, but I was very pleased with lots of the boys. Because with healthy competition, it gave us opportunities to play different players and use different line combinations. Basically, the boys took it very seriously. The work ethic on the ice and in the gym and all around the facility was very impressive. Hopefully we can continue to be that way for the next three weeks in Edmonton. This is Vasili Podkolzin’s third World Juniors. What are your expectations for your captain? You’ve got to use that experience. That’s the key guy on our team in terms of experience and being around. He’s got two medals, bronze and silver. So only one piece is missing: gold. Hopefully, all together, we can work and fight and entertain and get that success from this tournament. In your opinion, how much has starting goalie Yaroslav Askarov improved since his last World Juniors? The goalie situation is handled by Nikolai Khabibulin. I talk to Nik, I talk to Yaroslav. Once again, it’s all about patience and growing up and being more mature and experienced. He’s been a tremendous professional. It’s a pleasure to have him around. These types of players give us hope for the future, because if we can create players like that, not just one but a few of them, we’re going to have much better success. Young guys today love to play video games. Have you convinced any of them to play chess instead? Well, that’s the plan! We’ve got to find a way not to think about hockey all the time. So we have a plan to take some board games into the hospitality room, so the boys can sometimes refresh their minds, get away from hockey. Chess would be one of the games, but it takes time to study, to learn the strategy. We’re going to have a few games in the room, so hopefully the boys are going to be not just sitting on the PlayStation all the time, but will have some other games. That’s part of being in the bubble. Igor Larionov received his Hockey Hall of Fame ring in Edmonton a few days before the start of the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. What are your best memories from winning the World Juniors in 1979 and 1980? In 1979, we played against a very good strong, Swedish side, and we won 7-5 in that final game. That was like a roller coaster, a thriller, an up-and-down game. That kind of experience shapes your mentality, shapes your hockey life. In 1980, it was beating Finland in Helsinki. We played against Jari Kurri and Reijo Ruotsalainen. There were thousands of people at the old Jaahalli building. I ended up scoring the winning goal in that game. It’s always nice to be able to play during Christmas time and the beginning of January, to start the year off with success. What did you think about your son Igor Larionov II’s decision to try out for and sign with the KHL’s Kunlun Red Star? The hockey in North America has been at a halt. Nobody’s playing. So basically, he was getting that tryout contract and played a few games. Then he got sick with COVID-19 and he was missing two and a half or three weeks now. So right now, he’s getting back into shape, and I’m happy for him. He’s a good hockey player with a good hockey mind. Hopefully the coaches can use him properly there in Kunlun. Your World Junior team is playing in Edmonton, where Wayne Gretzky spent his best NHL years. When was the last time you talked to Wayne? The last time we talked was quite a few years ago. I’m not sure exactly when, but maybe 10 or 12 years ago. I’ve been travelling and he’s been busy with his life. I’ve been in Detroit and he’s been in Los Angeles. The Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup this year with Nikita Kucherov, Mikhail Sergachev, and Andrei Vasilevski playing huge roles. What did you think of their performances? First of all, I was happy for those boys. They got the toughest, most difficult chore in all of hockey. It’s the Stanley Cup. So it’s not easy, but it’s very rewarding to go through the ups and downs and win. I’m so happy for those three young men, who were key parts of their team’s success in goaltending, defence, and offence. And I was happy for Stevie Y [Steve Yzerman], who was the GM for many years in Tampa. He built a really good team, and credit goes to him as well. He started a movement in Tampa. The last three years, that team is playing sensational hockey. How did you celebrate your 60th birthday on 3 December? I was in the camp. There were no celebrations. I’m not allowed to go anywhere. So I was basically with the boys in the camp, drinking tea, at practice, and watching video. What would it mean for you personally to win Russia’s first World Junior gold medal since 2011? That would be great. I don’t want to be overconfident. We respect every team. We’re one of them. We’ve got 10 teams in the tournament, and Russia is no better than anybody else. Everybody starts from scratch with zero wins. The goal, obviously, and the dream for everybody is to play well and be in the top spot on 5 January. Ларионов привез на МЧМ чудо-состав, от него ждут только победы Наша молодежка может выиграть молодежный чемпионат мира в Канаде. Глядя на игру команды Ларионова, мы вспомним «Красную машину» Революционно крутой турнир для России Молодежная сборная России уже неделю находится в Эдмонтоне, где 25 декабря начнется один из самых популярных хоккейных турниров человечества. МЧМ в Канаде – это классика: сумасшедшие рейтинги, предельная заряженность хозяев на победу, внимание скаутов и полные трибуны, которых в этот раз, к сожалению, не будет. Но смысл понятен – ажиотаж вокруг МЧМ всегда грандиозный. Если смотреть в разрезе российской молодежки, то грядущий турнир революционно крутой сразу по нескольким причинам. Впервые за шесть лет сборную на турнир везет не Валерий Брагин. Титулованный Игорь Ларионов входил в штаб легендарного спеца на последнем МЧМ, а теперь сам встал у руля и уже успел прославиться. Он свозил своих пацанов на Кубок Карьяла, где жестко прибил три топовые европейские сборные, за которые играли зрелые мастера. Команда Ларионова играла в доминирующем стиле против взрослых и куда более опытных соперников: уверенно контролировала шайбу, шла в давление после потерь, парни не боялись проявлять индивидуальное мастерство – бросали из обводки, делали рискованные оставления, использовали резкие поперечные переводы. И это не просто стечение обстоятельств, а философия главного тренера. Уже на прошлом МЧМ, где сборная России уступила Канаде в финале, выигрывая за 11 минут до конца 3:1, просматривались идеи Ларионова. Под руководством Брагина наша молодежка чаще всего терпела на льду, отбиваясь в матчах против топовых команд в надежде на отточенные контратаки. Все было направлено на достижение результата любой ценой. Но на МЧМ-2020 подбор исполнителей позволял играть в комбинационном стиле, что мы и увидели. На групповом этапе мы уничтожили канадцев 6:0 за счет доминирующего контроля и нестандартных действий. Ларионов уже доказал, что его разговоры о "советском хоккее" в исполнении молодежи – не пустые слова. Сборная под его руководством играет динамично и ответственно, не забывая при этом еще и об эстетической стороне игры. Но, опять же, тренерскому штабу этой команды повезло с исполнителями – в составе есть игроки, способные действовать в комбинационном стиле. Такое было далеко не всегда. Кто сыграет за сборную России? Сейчас в Канаде у нас тренируется следующий состав: Вратари: Ярослав Аскаров (СКА, Санкт-Петербург), Артур Ахтямов («Ак Барс», Казань), Всеволод Скотников (ЦСКА, Москва) Защитники: Роман Бычков («Локомотив», Ярославль), Кирилл Кирсанов, Егор Шеховцов (оба – СКА, Санкт-Петербург), Артемий Князев («Ак Барс», Казань), Ян Кузнецов (Университет Коннектикута, NCAA), Шакир Мухамадуллин («Салават Юлаев», Уфа), Даниил Чайка (ЦСКА, Москва), Семен Чистяков («Авангард», Омск) Нападающие: Михаил Абрамов («Викториавилл», QMJHL), Родион Амиров, Даниил Башкиров (оба – «Салават Юлаев», Уфа), Егор Афанасьев (ЦСКА, Москва), Захар Бардаков («Витязь», Подольск), Арсений Грицюк, Егор Чинахов (оба – «Авангард», Омск), Максим Грошев, Василий Подколзин, Егор Спиридонов, Марат Хуснутдинов (все – СКА, Санкт-Петербург), Василий Пономарев («Шавиниган», QMJHL), Илья Сафонов («Ак Барс», Казань), Владислав Фирстов (Университет Коннектикута, NCAA). Впервые за долгое время к составу нет практически никаких вопросов. Возможно, у кого-то есть сомнения по одной-двум позициям, но здесь был выбор исключительно на усмотрение тренерского штаба. Ларионов не взял даже в расширенный состав техничного Ярослава Лихачева, который выигрывал серебро ЮЧМ-2019, и Матвея Гуськова, пропустившего тот турнир из-за травмы. Причина в том, что парни долгое время сидели в Канаде, дожидаясь старта сезона в юниорских лигах и не имели игровой практики. Главный тренер заранее обозначил критерий для попадания в сборную: нужно играть. Поэтому Даниил Чайка, Артемий Князев и Егор Афанасьев приехали в аренду в клубы КХЛ, пока в североамериканских юниорках не возобновится сезон. Гуськов же слишком поздно решил вопрос с возвращением в систему ЦСКА, подписав контракт лишь пару недель назад. Многие ждали в составе нападающего Даниила Гущина, который, как и Лихачев был в серебряной юниорке-2019, но на него Ларионов особо не рассчитывал в ходе подготовки команды. Парню только 18 лет, у него еще будет возможность съездить на МЧМ по своему году. А пока в сборной будут решать ребята, которые играют с мужиками в КХЛ вроде Захара Бардакова. Почти все игроки этой сборной рубятся с мужиками  У нашей сборной есть баланс и крутые игровые идеи. Остается все это реализовать. From