WC: 2024 IIHF Division IA, Bolzano

[Albatros]

It's good to see more talented kids going abroad, but leaving after high school is a bit late and many do not possess the necessary language skills to really make use of such opportunities. Even relative late bloomers like Hirano are a good boost for the national team, of course.

There are fairly many skating facilities with a suitable capacity available across the country, just remains to be seen whether hockey can establish itself (semi-)professionally in new places. Yokohama is the only big city represented in the Asia League, and the Grits haven't really fully found their place there yet. On the other hand they were established just when the pandemic hit, so it's been a rough start anyway. Trying to maintain pro teams only in structurally weak places is ultimately a losing battle.

 

[FrHockeyFan]

The IIHF have started posting the links for the live streams (as well as the D1B's) on their Worlds' YouTube channel.

https://youtube.com/@IIHFWorlds/streams

 

[sytheman]

Korea pulled out a historic win over Slovenia in the opening game without any foreign imports. Our younger generation provided fresh blood with speed and high level of intensity from get-go.

 

[ozo]

Slovenia also going with a much younger roster. It cost them dearly today, now I think it is likely that they will get promoted this year.

 

[jonas2244]

JPN outshooting Hungary is a surpise, too. Balizs is holding the shootout currently.

Korea is definitly contestand for a promotion.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Slovenia also going with a much younger roster.

Urbas, Jeglic and Verlic stuck in DEL finals. And those are gamebreakers at this level.

 

[ozo]

Urbas, Jeglic and Verlic stuck in DEL finals. And those are gamebreakers at this level.

I didn't even think about this. Damn, now I feel sorry for them.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Urbas, Jeglic and Verlic stuck in DEL finals. And those are gamebreakers at this level.

I's over now.. I think Urbas retired from the national team but I thought Jeglic and Verlic would be here..

 

[PanniniClaus]

Italy doing what they should do. Shots 40-11 after 2. Up 4-1.

 

[Dofs]

South Korea over Slovenia was a real surprise. Congrats to them.

But based on the talent available, Slovenia's results will only get worse before they get better.

 

[Albatros]

Not having Rinne doesn't even matter here when you have 60 or so shots against, but next game Romania will need to find some points.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Im a young hockey fan so i don‘t know much about hockey before 2014, was japan good in the past? Since you said revitalize.

Japan was actually in the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley when the Americans won their first gold medal (the team from which Herb Brooks was cut).

Was fortunate to meet one of the players from that Japanese team and there is a great movie to be made - even though they faired poorly at the tournament.

The team sailed from Japan to Canada - going through a tsunami (apparently their coach was fairly strict and even in the storm insisted they wear suit jackets and ties to dinner).

Once they arrived in Canada they played a tour of Canadian junior and amateur teams before arriving in California.

 

[Albatros]

Japan was actually in the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley when the Americans won their first gold medal (the team from which Herb Brooks was cut).

Was fortunate to meet one of the players from that Japanese team and there is a great movie to be made - even though they faired poorly at the tournament.

The team sailed from Japan to Canada - going through a tsunami (apparently their coach was fairly strict and even in the storm insisted they wear suit jackets and ties to dinner).

Once they arrived in Canada they played a tour of Canadian junior and amateur teams before arriving in California.

After attending the 1957 IIHF World Championships in Moscow, the 1960 Olympic team manager Onikura was also convinced that Soviet style hockey was far superior to the "old-fashioned" Canadian game and that Japan must urgently shift its own style accordingly.

(I assume you mean typhoon, though I doubt there was one early in the year)

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

After attending the 1957 IIHF World Championships in Moscow, the 1960 Olympic team manager Onikura was also convinced that Soviet style hockey was far superior to the "old-fashioned" Canadian game and that Japan must urgently shift its own style accordingly.

(I assume you mean typhoon, though I doubt there was one early in the year)

You're probably right. Living in New Jersey we have hurricanes (and recently an earthquake). But fortunately neither typhoons nor tsunamis.

 

[Albatros]

Typhoon is basically an Asia-Pacific hurricane with a season from May to October affecting Japan similar to the Atlantic hurricane season. Out of season they're rather rare, so sailing to the Olympics that take place in February the chances of encountering one are probably negligible. But of course there are ordinary winter storms in January and February. Tsunami at sea would basically be a small number of large yet smooth waves that the ship may need to tackle head on, but not otherwise threatening or excessively uncomfortable before they are making landfall at which point they can carry a ship inland and cause extensive damage that way. So when a tsunami is approaching crews at least in Japan when possible typically take even their smaller vessels to the sea to avoid damage which is the opposite to a storm situation.

 

[Sanf]

After attending the 1957 IIHF World Championships in Moscow, the 1960 Olympic team manager Onikura was also convinced that Soviet style hockey was far superior to the "old-fashioned" Canadian game and that Japan must urgently shift its own style accordingly.

(I assume you mean typhoon, though I doubt there was one early in the year)

That may be true, but I remember reading from NA newspapers that the goal of that North American tour was to learn rougher hockey.

And indeed Japanese were playing bit rough hockey I remember one exhibition game (I think it was actually against Team USA) was considered to end in the second period through some incidents. I think Japanese were playing with sticks quite high.

And ofcourse the Japan vs. Finland second game was called off second before ending because of Brawl where referees and even coaches had to try to separate players.

But it was box office hit. I think the Japanese national team did gather full crowds. Will be interesting to see what kind of movie is made out of it.

 

[sytheman]

We are getting abused both physically and mentally. We need to play smarter hockey to be more competitive. The game misconduct earlier in the game was unfortunate but we still had plenty of time to recover. Defensemen need to take more shots.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Italy with hands full right now. 2-2 in the second with Japan.

 

[Jon Riley]

Damn what a putrid defensive effort on that first Japan goal. Pietroniro, Amorosa and Purdeller have been schooled badly

 

[PanniniClaus]

seems to be an unusually long wait between periods

 

[Fyodorov]

seems to be an unusually long wait between periods

suspended due to broken glass lol

 

[jonas2244]

No break without Espressi and Tiramismu.

 

[Fyodorov]

bit of a lucky escape there from Italy lol

 

[Jon Riley]

Japan played a hell of a gritty third period, Italy not so much.
Narisawa made at least three massive saves, Clara, well, not so much.
Scoring 4 seconds into the overtime was a bit anticlimactic but I won't complain too much.

 

[jonas2244]

The kit from the Romanian goalkeeper looks like straight from the 80-ies.

But they're giving Hungary an unexpected fight.