Junior Club World Cup 2018, Sochi, Russia (18-26 August)

[kabidjan18]

Loko is the best MHL team, with players like Denisenko, Kayumov and Kovalenko amongst all. XV 71 is the winner of Swedish U20 championship. All other teams, I think, are way behind them.

I think Salzburg is going to beat HV71.

 

[Zine]

How has the quality of hockey been?

I know it won't be Hlinka Gretzky level but has it been good?

The quality varies greatly, not much parity.

For example the Kunlun juniors are well below Hlinka quality, while Loko is a step above any national U18 team.

 

[Jussi]

Loko is the best MHL team, with players like Denisenko, Kayumov and Kovalenko amongst all. XV 71 is the winner of Swedish U20 championship. All other teams, I think, are way behind them.

Jokerit A-junior team barely survived getting relegated last season. They've sucked for years. Last time they medaled was in 2012 when Jarmo Kekäläinen was Jokerit GM and actually cared about the junior program.

 

[cska78]

Jokerit A-junior team barely survived getting relegated last season. They've sucked for years. Last time they medaled was in 2012 when Jarmo Kekäläinen was Jokerit GM and actually cared about the junior program.

why is that, thought finiish junior hockey is on upswing...loosing to some no-name league is sad...

 

[Jussi]

why is that, thought finiish junior hockey is on upswing...loosing to some no-name league is sad...

It's just the state of Jokerit A-juniors. It's been a clusterfrak for years. They also keep losing the best talents after B-juniors because other clubs offer a clear career path and an opportunity to play for the Liiga club as they grow older and develop. Plus the coaching is better at other clubs.

 

[cska78]

yeah, getting smashed by loko now..

 

[malkinfan]

Loko has a lot of world class players, not really MHLers. Wonder why Canada couldn't get guys from the BCHL, they would have been better.

 

[Jussi]

Loko has a lot of world class players, not really MHLers. Wonder why Canada couldn't get guys from the BCHL, they would have been better.

My guess is that just like with the top Finnish A-junior teams, this tournament doesn't carry much value to them.

 

[VictorLustig]

HV71 killing it

 

[Kshahdoo]

15 yo Barnes still scored a goal. 3+1 in 4 games.

 

[Zine]

Loko vs HV71. Should be a great final.

 

[vorky]

Morozov, the head of the MHL: Nobody is able to explain me what happened to a CHL team when they played at the tournament last time. That is a reason they have refused to come since then.

Czech rep will send a junior champion to the tournament next summer.

 

[VictorLustig]

Morozov, the head of the MHL: Nobody is able to explain me what happened to a CHL team when they played at the tournament last time. That is a reason they have refused to come since then.

Czech rep will send a junior champion to the tournament next summer.

They just disappeared or what?

 

[vorky]

They just disappeared or what?

Morozov came to the league in 2015 or 2016, so can not remember these times.

The tournament was launched by the MHL in 2011, sanctioned by the IIHF next year. The 2011 edition had an American and a Canadian team from lower leagues (a select team too). The 2012-2014 had teams from the USHL and the CHL. The US sent Chicago Steel in 2015, Canada did not participate. Editions 2016 & 2017 were without America & Canada. As we know, the KHL & the MHL leadership changed in 2014-2015. Would be good to know why the CHL dediced not to go. One reason are training camps which start later than in Europe. But it was not a problem earlier and is now?

The tournament is unique on junior club level. I do not know any similar tournament. There was the European Trophy Junior a few years ago, but disappeared.

 

[cska78]

CHL and USHL have 0 to gain from this tournament. Why get involved with this.... But the fact, that European Nations are not bringing their champs, no Germans?

 

[malkinfan]

CHL and USHL have 0 to gain from this tournament. Why get involved with this.... But the fact, that European Nations are not bringing their champs, no Germans?

It is a nice carrot to go on some exotic trip/tournament if you are some 18 y/o kid living in Sudbury (IMO thats why Sudbury in particular was chosen). Even guys in the OHL, 17,18 &19 thats a pretty crazy trip to go on for free, not many guys in OHL are world class and get to attend international tournaments in their lifetime or will ever get to go to Russia. From management perspective, high level meaningful preseason competition

Would like to see OHL and USHL return to the tournament, from MHL perspective its a sgoo benchmark.

 

[kabidjan18]

CHL and USHL have 0 to gain from this tournament. Why get involved with this.... But the fact, that European Nations are not bringing their champs, no Germans?

There's not german team that approaches Red Bull.

For starters, Red Bull has quite a handful of German U20 athletes, Sander, Wirt, Schutz, Eckl...

Then they have imports like Nordberg, Evertsson, Meisaari, and Laakso.

Then they have Austrian U20 nationals like Schreier, Zitz, Huber, etc. That may not sound significant, but Austria's U20 team has beaten Germany the last 2 times they've faced off.

Insofar as many of the best german talents (Gawanke, Bokk) don't even play in Germany, and wouldn't qualify for any german squad, Red Bull is probably the best way to go.

 

[theVladiator]

It is a nice carrot to go on some exotic trip/tournament if you are some 18 y/o kid living in Sudbury (IMO thats why Sudbury in particular was chosen). Even guys in the OHL, 17,18 &19 thats a pretty crazy trip to go on for free, not many guys in OHL are world class and get to attend international tournaments in their lifetime or will ever get to go to Russia. From management perspective, high level meaningful preseason competition

Would like to see OHL and USHL return to the tournament, from MHL perspective its a sgoo benchmark.

It's clear that the kids would benefit from this event. Not just culturally (see Twain, Mark). I think it's beneficial for their development to measure up against potentially different styles. Perhaps the point was that their clubs have nothing to gain from it. CHL I think has even something to lose as well. At the moment it has positioned itself as a sort of NHL gateway league, and the potential is there to lose recruits to USHL, JrA, and more imports staying at home if that status is challenged. USHL on the other hand could gain if it is interested in elevating its status. That said, I am not sure the potential shifts are going to be meaningful, so they should not overthink it and just send somebody.

From fan's perspective, it's a very interesting events, allowing to roughly gauge levels of play across leagues

 

[Jussi]

yeah, getting smashed by loko now..

And they've opened the A-juniors season with 3 defeats and 5-19 goal difference, that includes two 1-6 losses.

 

[Maverick41]

There's not german team that approaches Red Bull.

For starters, Red Bull has quite a handful of German U20 athletes, Sander, Wirt, Schutz, Eckl...

Then they have imports like Nordberg, Evertsson, Meisaari, and Laakso.

Then they have Austrian U20 nationals like Schreier, Zitz, Huber, etc. That may not sound significant, but Austria's U20 team has beaten Germany the last 2 times they've faced off.

Insofar as many of the best german talents (Gawanke, Bokk) don't even play in Germany, and wouldn't qualify for any german squad, Red Bull is probably the best way to go.

I think Mannheim (in most years) would be equal to Red Bull.
It would be interesting to see those two teams play each other.

 

[cska78]

It is a nice carrot to go on some exotic trip/tournament if you are some 18 y/o kid living in Sudbury (IMO thats why Sudbury in particular was chosen). Even guys in the OHL, 17,18 &19 thats a pretty crazy trip to go on for free, not many guys in OHL are world class and get to attend international tournaments in their lifetime or will ever get to go to Russia. From management perspective, high level meaningful preseason competition

Would like to see OHL and USHL return to the tournament, from MHL perspective its a sgoo benchmark.

you talking from the player's perspective, I am talking from team's and league's perspective.

 

[rakano]

The team, which consists of 2 goaltenders, 7 defensemen, and 13 forwards, has CCHL representation from 10 of its 12 member clubs.

 

[ijuka]

And they've opened the A-juniors season with 3 defeats and 5-19 goal difference, that includes two 1-6 losses.

Jokerit now with 1 win, 8 losses and 18-39 goal diff.

Indeed, still don't understand why they would send that terrible team to an actual tournament to embarrass the nation.

 

[Jussi]

Jokerit now with 1 win, 8 losses and 18-39 goal diff.

Indeed, still don't understand why they would send that terrible team to an actual tournament to embarrass the nation.

A nation that doesn't even know or care about the tournament, so why should the federation care about it either? Out of sight, out of mind.