WC: 2018 - Team France

Belizarius

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Sep 17, 2003
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Welcome back to the resident French hockey expert. Posed some questions in an earlier post I'd hoped you'd see. Basically, I was curious how you see the Cergy facility impacting the French national program, specifically in the junior age groups? Does France base these teams there?

It's way to soon to estimate the impact of this facility.
At this point, the Aren'Ice has 1 resident club : the Jokers of Cergy (2nd level), who have benefit of this rink with about 1300 people watching the games on average.
The women team from Cergy (best in France for years) also plays there.

The Aren'ice hosted several NT games as well all season long, and the NT of every level often train there before friendly games.

It's the best rink of all Paris area, so it's of course a pretty good news for all the kids around. It's going to take some time to see the impact, though.
 

Friar85

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Dec 16, 2013
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It's way to soon to estimate the impact of this facility.
At this point, the Aren'Ice has 1 resident club : the Jokers of Cergy (2nd level), who have benefit of this rink with about 1300 people watching the games on average.
The women team from Cergy (best in France for years) also plays there.

The Aren'ice hosted several NT games as well all season long, and the NT of every level often train there before friendly games.

It's the best rink of all Paris area, so it's of course a pretty good news for all the kids around. It's going to take some time to see the impact, though.
Thank you.
 

Belizarius

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Sep 17, 2003
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A few remarks about the roster.

*Roussel is a long shot. He's UFA and the team seems to be negociating with the agent.
*Stephane Da Costa is unsure as well. He came back home for personnal reasons, family problem.
*Stay-at-home defenseman Nicolas Besch is out with a concussion suffered vs Czech republic. He's one of the most experienced player, so it's a tough blow.
*Charles Bertrand declined the selection. He never really got along with Henderson's style of play, anyway, but I was curious to see his progression. He was benched a lot during the 2016 worlds where he wasn't very good, not called-up for the OQT or the 2017 worlds at home. He was there for a pair of friendlies back in november, but I guess the relationship didn't progress very much.
*Coach Dave Henderson and his assistant Pierre Pousse will drive their last WC. The federation is looking for a new coach for next season, including one who be a part-time NT coach, part club coach.

Basically, it's a change of guard here.
Meunier and Huet retired last season, and Meunier is now on the staff as an assistant coach.
Bellemare is still playing NHL playoffs with Vegas.
We're missing the whole big 3 from the 2014 quarterfinals (Roussel, Da Costa, Bellemare) and a 1st pairing D, Besch, former captain Meunier and best GK of all time in Huet.

It means :
GK : it's Hardy turn now, and he will have a lot of pressure. Quemener is #2. I believe Ylonen is #3 by default, despite too few games this year in Finland. Would have liked a look of Buysse, GK of the year in France.

D : Auvitu is there, fortunately. He will play in Europe next year, fed up by the NHL after 2 seasons warming the bench without explanation in NJ and EDM. Hecquefeuille, Janil and Manavian are the most experienced D, all declining a bit. It means a whole new 3rd pairing. Chakiachvili will be there, he's a veteran of several worlds, even without a lot of games.
For the 1st time, we will bring kids. A pair of 21-year old made the team, with talented Hugo Gallet and towering Sebastien Thiry. I doubt they play a lot, though, but they're going to learn. That's the first time we have such young d-men, some hopes for this position (with 19-year old Guebey also waiting for later).
It means former center Damien Raux will once again play defense as a 6th/7th D. Olivier Dame-Malka, who played last year worlds, is a question mark. He was benched during the Magnus league finals because of unecesseray penalties. Lack of disciplin doomed his chances.

F :
With the big 3 out, the biggest fish is Damien Fleury, who played for 2 different teams this season in Finland and Germany. 30-year old winger is a pure sniper, best pure goal scorer of the team. He needs a playmaker though, and that's a question mark.
We believe Alexandre Texier, not even 19 year old, could be the man, or #2 center. Teddy Da Costa should be the other center, despite a slow declining game and lack of disciplin. The other winger will probably be Anthony Rech, who had a breakout season last year, including a very good WC in Paris. Rech played in Germany (same team as Fleury), 1st time out of France for him, and did well.
The other players to watch are Jordann Perret (1st season out of France, in Czech rep.), a speedy, defensive winger ; towering Sasha Treille (Czech rep with Perret), slowly declining as well. Must stay disciplined, though.

And that's about it.
The rest of the team is unproved.
Ritz and Claireaux played well last year as 4th liners, could have a chance to climb the lineup. Lampérier is a Magnus veteran who was 13th forward several times and never seems to take the next step.

So the help must come from the youngest players. Maurin Bouvet (13th forward last year), a speedy player, Floran Douay, a big winger, and smallish dinamo Guillaume Leclerc all played very well in preparation camp. Berthon played in Switzerland and had some games in WC the past years. Gutierrez is a regular in NT all season long, but it will be his 1st WC.

In fact, the whole lineup is a mess, and everybody can play anywhere.

Last game vs Germany, it was :
S. Treille Bouvet Fleury(c)/ Rech T. Da Costa Leclerc/ Berthon Claireaux Lamperier/ Douay Ritz Perret/ Gutierrez

Honestly, I'm afraid. Afraid of the defense, of the lack of star power in front, of the GK changing guard. It's the trickiest WC since the shootout miracle in 2015.
 

Belizarius

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Sep 17, 2003
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Here's the roster for the last 2 friendly games :
Gardiens : Florian HARDY (Angers), Ronan QUEMENER (Bordeaux), Sebastian YLÖNEN (Jokijopat, FIN)
Défenseurs : Yohann AUVITU (Edmonton Oilers, USA), Nicolas BESCH (Bordeaux), Florian CHAKIACHVILI(Rouen), Hugo GALLET (Turku, FIN), Kévin HECQUEFEUILLE (IK Pantern, SWE), Jonathan JANIL (Bordeaux), Antonin MANAVIAN (Fehervar, HUN), Damien RAUX (Gap), Thomas THIRY (Zug)
Attaquants* : Maurin BOUVET (Gap), Valentin CLAIREAUX (Rauma, FIN), Stéphane DA COSTA (Genève, SUI), Teddy DA COSTA (Cracovie, POL), Floran DOUAY (Genève, SUI), Damien FLEURY (Schwenninger, GER), Anthony GUTTIG (Rouen), Loïc LAMPERIER (Rouen), Guillaume LECLERC (Grenoble), Jordann PERRET(Pardubice, CZE), Anthony RECH (Schwenninger, GER), Nicolas RITZ (Rouen), Alexandre TEXIER (KalPa, FIN), Sacha TREILLE (Pardubice, CZE)

Note :
Gutierrez and Berthon are out.
Besch is back, that's a terrific news. And even more, Stephane Da Costa is back as well !

Bad news, Antoine Roussel won't play this year due to personal reasons.
 
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Bookker

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Sep 17, 2010
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Yep Coach Henderson has announced earlier this week that Nico Besch and SDC will both be back for the last 2 friendly games
Glad it was confirmed today ! We need those 2 important pieces :nod:

Updated the lineup in the first post :thumbu:
 
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Friar85

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Dec 16, 2013
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Thanks for the updates. Another question, where does Boudon fit in the national team picture? I don't recall seeing his name at all in the early camps. I've seen him play over here and was very impressed with his game.
 

Belizarius

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Thanks for the updates. Another question, where does Boudon fit in the national team picture? I don't recall seeing his name at all in the early camps. I've seen him play over here and was very impressed with his game.
He's 19 and has a long way to go before playing in NT, especially since he plays in NA.
We'll have a better perspective after his 1st NCAA season next year. But definitely a good prospect :)
 
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Bookker

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Sep 17, 2010
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Friendly Games Act #4

Slovakia 4 - 0 France (27/04)
Slovakia 2 - 3 France (28/04

Solid performance to end our friendly games :naughty:
I sign anytime, everywhere, for the same result next week... against Russia :D

Possible lineup updated in the 1st post.
 

Khokhlach86

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Jul 8, 2012
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Moscow
Besch out

Final roster

Gardiens : Florian HARDY #49 (Angers), Ronan QUEMENER #33 (Bordeaux), Sebastian YLÖNEN #37 (Jokijopat, FIN)

Défenseurs : Yohann AUVITU #18 (Edmonton Oilers, USA), Florian CHAKIACHVILI #62 (Rouen), Hugo GALLET #8 (Turku, FIN), Kévin HECQUEFEUILLE #84 (IK Pantern, SWE), Jonathan JANIL #3 (Bordeaux), Antonin MANAVIAN #4 (Fehervar, HUN), Damien RAUX #28 (Gap), Thomas THIRY #38 (Zug, SUI)

Attaquants : Maurin BOUVET #15 (Gap), Valentin CLAIREAUX #12 (Rauma, FIN), Stéphane DA COSTA #14 (Genève, SUI), Teddy DA COSTA #80 (Cracovie, POL), Floran DOUAY #29 (Genève, SUI), Damien FLEURY #9 (Schwenninger, GER), Anthony GUTTIG #71 (Rouen), Loïc LAMPERIER #27 (Rouen), Guillaume LECLERC #23 (Grenoble), Jordann PERRET #72 (Pardubice, CZE), Anthony RECH #81 (Schwenninger, GER), Nicolas RITZ #25 (Rouen), Alexandre TEXIER #63 (KalPa, FIN), Sacha TREILLE #77 (Pardubice, CZE)
 

Bookker

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Sep 17, 2010
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Too bad Besch can't make it finally (concussion)
Big loss for our D :(

It will be very hard against Russia on Friday :sarcasm:


Projected lineup

Fleury S. Da Costa Claireaux
Treille Guttig T. Dacosta
Rech Texier Leclerc
Lampérier Ritz Perret
Douay Bouvet
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Auvitu Manavian
Chakiachvili Hecquefeuille
Gallet Janil
Raux Thiry
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Hardy
Quemener
Ylonen
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
 

Belizarius

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Sep 17, 2003
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Southern France
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So there are 5 newcomers here :
Ylonen, probably won't play
Leclerc, 22
Gallet, Thiry, both 20
Texier, 18

Finally, some youth. Henderson was relying a lot on his vets until this season. Nice to have some change.
Stephane Da Costa named team captain : wasn't my choice, he doesn't like to talk a lot to the media, he's a little shy but always speaks his mind.

Russia will be a first step, but I just hope they'll keep some energy for the Belarus game, much more important.
 
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DangeRouss

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Sep 6, 2014
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Bordeaux, Fra
Thanks for the update guys (hello Beli)

With all the retired, injured and other players out, it will be tough for France to compete this year...

Allez les Bleus !
 
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Bookker

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Any news about Hugo Gallet ? :(
If we loose him, it is a very very bad news.
I guess Leclerc is OK ?
Thanks Sweden I guess ;)
 

Bookker

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Sep 17, 2010
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Leclerc is ok, saw him after the game with a cut at this lip, but ok.
Looks like Gallet wiell be ok, but I'm waiting confirmation on that. I'll try to go to the pratice this afternoon.
Thanks a lot for the news !
Hope I will see Gallet on the ice tomorrow then :nod: :)
 

Belizarius

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Gallet was at the pratice this morning, on a little sheet of ice separated (the little rink for the kids :D )
He skated about 15 minutes with a few drills - skating, shooting. Looks like he's ok, but has more rest.
Treille is back as well and also had a short practice (little thing bothering him), and Lampérier is back as well (neck was stiffed)
 
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