WC: 2015 — Divisions I-II-III

[BayStreetBully]

It had to happen sooner or later that a country other than Italy, Kazakhstan, Austria or Slovenia advanced, but I didn't expect Poland to contend for promotion. What a story that would be.

 

[kaiser matias]

It had to happen sooner or later that a country other than Italy, Kazakhstan, Austria or Slovenia advanced, but I didn't expect Poland to contend for promotion. What a story that would be.

Even Hungary would be quite the achievement. Aside from their 2009 appearance, you have to go back to 1939 for their last appearance at the top division. The efforts the Hungarian federation has put in the last few years to improve hockey in the country are definitely showing, and while they did naturalise a few players this year, previous years show that they could do this on their own as well.

 

[BayStreetBully]

Even Hungary would be quite the achievement. Aside from their 2009 appearance, you have to go back to 1939 for their last appearance at the top division. The efforts the Hungarian federation has put in the last few years to improve hockey in the country are definitely showing, and while they did naturalise a few players this year, previous years show that they could do this on their own as well.

For sure, Hungary advancing would be fantastic. It would be a great story for any one of Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Japan, Korea or Britain to advance to the top 16, even just for a year.

 

[Namejs]

Now that Kazakhstan has guaranteed a promotion to the Elite tier, the GM of their national team has just revealed that they are planning to naturalize 3 more North Americans: Nigel Dawes, Dustin Boyd and Brandon Bochenski, which is essentially the top line for Astana Barys in the KHL.

So if all of their best players can make it next year, they will have about a dozen foreign mercenaries on their 'national team' and only 4 or 5 players without a dual citizenship.

 

[ozo]

Now that Kazakhstan has guaranteed a promotion to the Elite tier, the GM of their national team has just revealed that they are planning to naturalize 3 more North Americans: Nigel Dawes, Dustin Boyd and Brandon Bochenski, which is essentially the top line for Astana Barys in the KHL.

So if all of their best players can make it next year, they will have about a dozen foreign mercenaries on their 'national team' and only 4 or 5 players without a dual citizenship.

Bochenski was scheduled to debut for this team already, but season ending injury delayed these plans for now. But luckily they managed to naturalize fourth pairing D-men Tryasunov to have at least one new foreigner on the team.

 

[kaiser matias]

Now that Kazakhstan has guaranteed a promotion to the Elite tier, the GM of their national team has just revealed that they are planning to naturalize 3 more North Americans: Nigel Dawes, Dustin Boyd and Brandon Bochenski, which is essentially the top line for Astana Barys in the KHL.

So if all of their best players can make it next year, they will have about a dozen foreign mercenaries on their 'national team' and only 4 or 5 players without a dual citizenship.

As noted, Bochenski was supposed to be there already, and it was no secret that Dawes and Boyd were planning on joining the Kazakh team.

It's worth noting that Kazakhstan only has 2 or 3 (hard to tell exactly based on names) ethnic Kazakhs on the team, the rest being ethnic Russians (who only make up about 25% of the population). Very similar to the Romanian team, which is almost entirely made up of ethnic Hungarians (this year, for example, had something like 9 ethnic Romanians, one of the highest numbers in years). Not really trying to make a point here, more of an observation.

 

[ozo]

It's worth noting that Kazakhstan only has 2 or 3 (hard to tell exactly based on names) ethnic Kazakhs on the team, the rest being ethnic Russians (who only make up about 25% of the population). Very similar to the Romanian team, which is almost entirely made up of ethnic Hungarians (this year, for example, had something like 9 ethnic Romanians, one of the highest numbers in years). Not really trying to make a point here, more of an observation.

I think nobody has problems with ethic Russians being on Kazakhstan's or Magyars on Romania's roster, if they are born and raised in the country. That's like complaining that USA's pimpong team looks Chinese.

 

[airbus1094]

Now that Kazakhstan has guaranteed a promotion to the Elite tier, the GM of their national team has just revealed that they are planning to naturalize 3 more North Americans: Nigel Dawes, Dustin Boyd and Brandon Bochenski, which is essentially the top line for Astana Barys in the KHL.

So if all of their best players can make it next year, they will have about a dozen foreign mercenaries on their 'national team' and only 4 or 5 players without a dual citizenship.

Ughhhh I love those guys but they really have no right to be representing Kazakhstan, I had a feeling this was going to be a slippery slope after Dallman. Interestingly enough I think most KZ fans have no qualms about this, I don't get it. Maybe it'll help us make the olympics though.

It's worth noting that Kazakhstan only has 2 or 3 (hard to tell exactly based on names) ethnic Kazakhs on the team, the rest being ethnic Russians (who only make up about 25% of the population). Very similar to the Romanian team, which is almost entirely made up of ethnic Hungarians (this year, for example, had something like 9 ethnic Romanians, one of the highest numbers in years). Not really trying to make a point here, more of an observation.

Hockey is mostly played in the north of the country where ethnic russian are sometimes majority of it's about 50/50 with kazakhs. Anyways, all of the current NT were trained in ustinka during the soviet era when the number of russians was substantially higher. There are some more ethnic kazakhs at the u20/u28 level, but as ozo pointed out as long as they're trained here, it doesn't matter.

 

[kaiser matias]

I think nobody has problems with ethic Russians being on Kazakhstan's or Magyars on Romania's roster, if they are born and raised in the country. That's like complaining that USA's pimpong team looks Chinese.

Yeah I definitely am not arguing that that having minorities on their national teams is the same as naturalising foreigners, its just an interesting observation, one that I find worth looking at as to what factors have led to ethnic Kazakhs and Romanians not being as prevalent on the national teams as those other groups. But this is getting a little off topic now, and was just an observation I had.

 

[Namejs]

As noted, Bochenski was supposed to be there already, and it was no secret that Dawes and Boyd were planning on joining the Kazakh team.

It's worth noting that Kazakhstan only has 2 or 3 (hard to tell exactly based on names) ethnic Kazakhs on the team, the rest being ethnic Russians (who only make up about 25% of the population). Very similar to the Romanian team, which is almost entirely made up of ethnic Hungarians (this year, for example, had something like 9 ethnic Romanians, one of the highest numbers in years). Not really trying to make a point here, more of an observation.

Well, there are ethnic East Slavic players on the Latvian team every year as well (Jerofejevs, Jekimovs, etc., this year). It's just a reflection of national demographics and their domestic cultural differences in the case of Romania, if some ethnic group is over-represented.

It's got nothing to do with foreign mercenaries, though.

 

[Arrhizal]

Like I said, sickening. The IIHF should really make an end to this. Make it max 1 import per team.

 

[rafkon]

Poland vs. Hungary game is already sold out.

10.000 people on a hockey game tomorrow will be the second best attendance on a hockey game ever in Poland.

Does anyone know what is the attendance record for a DIV 1A/B game?

 

[Jastrzab]

poland vs. Hungary game is already sold out.

10.000 people on a hockey game tomorrow will be the second best attendance on a hockey game ever in poland.

According Polish hockey websites 14.000

 

[Arrhizal]

Slovenia had 10500 at a DIV-IA a few years back.

 

[kabidjan18]

Bochenski was scheduled to debut for this team already, but season ending injury delayed these plans for now. But luckily they managed to naturalize fourth pairing D-men Tryasunov to have at least one new foreigner on the team.

I think this is a real insult to the hard work that many federations do creating great teams of players born or raised in their country with the limited resources they have. The good thing about these players though especially thinking ahead to the 2016 Olympic Qualifiers is that most of these players initiated to the team as well as some naturals are already past their physical primes. Polischuk is almost 36 and is declining, Litvinenko is 35 and on the decline, Dallman is 34 though he is still performing, and Rudenko is 33 and fast declining. Even Bochenksi may be a spoiled present given his slowing trend and especially if injuries persist. Also, congratulations to Hungary for a good tournament. To prepare for the tournament they played two friendlies against Austria (minus NHL players, EBEL playoffs players, and CHL players) and won both times (4-2,4-3).

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Now that Kazakhstan has guaranteed a promotion to the Elite tier, the GM of their national team has just revealed that they are planning to naturalize 3 more North Americans: Nigel Dawes, Dustin Boyd and Brandon Bochenski, which is essentially the top line for Astana Barys in the KHL.

So if all of their best players can make it next year, they will have about a dozen foreign mercenaries on their 'national team' and only 4 or 5 players without a dual citizenship.

Just call them the Kaz-nucks

 

[rafkon]

According Polish hockey websites 14.000

Well. The official website of the television of the Polish Hockey Federation claims:

Maksymalna pojemność kibiców na hali podczas hokejowych mistrzostw świata to 10 tysięcy i wiele wskazuje na to, że właśnie tyle osób pojawi się w Tauron Arenie.

"The maximum capacity of the arena during WCH is 10.000 and it is quite probable that so many people will visit Tauron Arena."

And that is an information from last Saturday, the day before the event started. Though indeed Polish hockey websites claim 13.250 tickets had been sold. If true, than this would be the record of a hockey attendance in Poland as the current is somewhere around 12.500.

 

[rafkon]

So we know which team is relegated.

Ukraine will play next season in DIV 1B which honestly seemed to be quite probable before the tournament because they sent to Cracow definitely not their best team. I expected them to fight against relegation together with Poland.

 

[Exarz]

Come on Poland!

0-0 after the second period

 

[snowmobile]

Poland pulls their goalie with 5 minutes left knowing they need 2 goals

 

[snowmobile]

and poland ties it!

 

[snowmobile]

Hungary scores an empty netter and advances to next years championship.

 

[Arrhizal]

EN goal, HUN advances. Kinda hoped Poland would go forward to punish the huns for adding those imports.

 

[Heia Norge]

Congratulations to team Hungary!

 

[Urbanskog]

Happy for Hungary and particularly for their great fans, looking at the background you'd think the match was hosted in Hungary: