Russian Womens Hockey

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
Lately Russian female hockey is the main thing in hockey I support and have an emotional attachment to. I am invested into their development and eventually they are going to have a Miracle on Ice moment against US/Canada that is going to be gratifying.

Russia only really started to seriously develop the girls leading up to the Olympics. Many other countries are kind of in a similar boat. US and Canada have had a big advantage because of title 19 and the university system. So they have always had a good group of well experienced physically mature girls in the sport. Its a similar thing in football. Its why the US womens team can win titles and the mens team sucks. Lack of competition.

A lot of those veteran US/Canada girls now are retiring or will retire after the Olympics and gradually the gap is closing. The dividends of the modern development of Russian girls hockey seem to be paying off with a talented group of girls who are 18-23 such as Shokhina, Kadirova, Belyakova, Shtaryova, Pirogova, Merkusheva, Dergachyova etc. The main good veteran is Olga Sosina who is only 25.

This group has talent but still is not able to match up against US/Canada whos teams are girls mostly in their mid 20's who are more experienced etc.

I project that the Russian girls will be able to compete on even terms in like 6 years. The girls right now who are 20 will be experienced veterans. The top prospects they have right now who are around 16 will be in their prime early 20 years. And the top pee wee girls right now will be like 18 then.

ZHHL (site isnt letting me write it in Russian for some reason) is a a really fun league with a lot of scoring that has games that are easily accessible on Youtube. Right now there is 7 teams and a Kazakhstan team is rumored to be joining next season. It would have had a Chinese team if not for Digit Murphy. I would like to see further expansion to maybe 12 teams. There could definitely be a second Moscow area team and cities like Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirisk would be other logical destinations.

I would also like to see the league rebranded as the WKHL.

I have also stumbled onto the world of Russian girls pee wee hockey in the last year. Theres a Russian girl who is a top pee wee player who has become somewhat of an Instagram celebrity. Shes constantly showing amazing highlights from her games and all the intense training she does off ice. All kinds of drills and training equipment. At least in the Moscow area there is some really serious development going into girls pee wee. A lot of the games are put on Youtube. Not only are they broadcast, they have score and time graphics and an announcer doing play by play.

This girl plays on a few different teams including on a boys team. Also, the girls team she is on often plays against boys teams that are a year or two younger. This further helps their development and helps toughen them up.

I would say she is the most talented player but theres other players in her team and other teams that have amazing players as well. I frankly was kind of shocked how good some of these girls are. You don't really expect an 11 year old girl to have a great wrist shot etc.

I will give an example of a Russian pee wee girl that wowed me the other day. Heres the whole game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO6fxomyKTA Focus on #29. She scores like six goals. And almost every one of the goals was highlight worthy. This was against a team of boys I believe born in 2007. This girl pretty much carried the girls team to a convincing win over boys.

Since the ZHHL has no real age restriction these young talented girls can go pro at a young age. In the ZHHL there is a number of girls who are 15 so in just a few years these young prospects can be playing in the pro league.

So hopefully eventually Russian women win hockey gold in the Olympics and worlds.

http://whl.khl.ru/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH54DJ7J4t38id2gyhx_yUw Tornado Moscows Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbCgB2r_6tL3NeCJ63PHZcw Agidel UFA Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChTjNVa9bUkz1Kq3sSviicQ Skiff Nizhny Novgorod Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7gmdB_G63oDmVAlEWzf8nA Dinamo St. Petersburg Youtube
 
Last edited:

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
Some good games this week. There is definitely more parity this season. The only doormat team is Ekaterinburg which has a lot of younger girls.

Soon the league takes a break so that the national team can play exhibitions against the NWHL teams. I tend to think this gives no real benefit and causes a pause in the ZHHL season but the fed figures it helps with development.

Dmitrov will be hosting the World U18 tournament in a few months in the arena that Tornado plays at.
 

Gigantor The Goalie

Speak for the Goalies
Feb 4, 2012
13,076
2,529
New London
It's good to see Russia starting to invest more into women's hockey. The national team is very up and down. They win Bronze in 2016 then end up being upset by the Germans in 2017. Consistency will come with experience and they'll need to really focus on their goalie development to help bridge the gap between them and the top 3 teams. Despite the result at the 2017 WHC I think Russia is still the 4th best nation in women's hockey but it's a slight lead with the Swedes/Swiss making a push. The poor Germans are going to get killed in the 2019 WHC pool play and that's if they have Jennifer Harss in net. Russia needs to run the table on the Pool B in 2019 to re-establish themselves and show they belong with the Big 3.
 

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
Much like their mens they have developed quite a bit of goalies. Merkusheva is the best imo and just turned 18. Morozova is also very good and a very thick nimble girl. Sorokina is highly regarded and 22. And various other promising ones.
 

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
Putting together a pool of potential Olympic/Worlds players. Feel free to suggest other names I missed.

Merkusheva
Morozova
Sorokina
Tarakanova
Prugova
Alexandrova

Goncharenko
Pirogova
Batalova
Shibanova
Shukina
Nikolaeva
Lobova
Ganeyeva
Pechnikova

Shokhina
Belyakova
Dergachyova
Shtaryova
Kadirova
Dyupina
Kanaeva
Sosina
Pavlova
Mitrofanova
Lebedeva
Mezentseva
Malyavko
Bolgareva

Smolentseva is too old and not sure if she is playing this season so I left her off.

Pavlova back from taking a year off gives a boost.

I personally would not pick the girls who play in Canada like Gavrilova. She is getting up and age and I prefer to pick younger girls who have more familiarity playing with the other Russian girls.
 

Gigantor The Goalie

Speak for the Goalies
Feb 4, 2012
13,076
2,529
New London
It's a nice stable of goalies in Russia. Morozova dueling with Meeri Raisanen in the 2016 WHC Bronze game was absolutely beautiful. Still it's been a while since there's been a Russian goalie that has taken control of a WHC tournament. Hopefully we see one Russian goalie step up and make themselves the no. 1 goalie in their country like Raty is in Finland, Szabados in Canada, Harss in Germany, Grahn in Sweden (though I'm not sure how much longer she'll hold that spot), Schelling Switzerland, etc. Someone Russia can count on to carry the team and bridge the gap while the younger generation of Russian players works to catch up. If not in the 2018 Olympics then it'll be the 2019 WHC where it'll be the perfect opportunity for a goalie to make themselves no. 1.

I can see where you are coming from re: Gavrilova. Russia needs all it's talented players though and especially a player who succeeds in the best league in women's hockey. I don't believe Gavrilova would have many issues playing with her Russian teammates after being in Canada. Gavrilova went from U Sports to the CWHL and didn't miss a beat despite not having the same teammates. I think having her veteran experience is important as well. Don't throw the young players to the sharks without having some veterans who can match up with the vets on other teams.
 

Atas2000

Registered User
Jan 18, 2011
13,601
3,269
Russia women beat Japan in two friendly matches before heading overseas for matches against the NWHL teams.

Just got some serious reinforcements ;)

DMCCiokUEAIRITr.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: KrejciMVP

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
Russian women have won the first two games on the North American tour. 3-2 against the Riveters and 8-2 against the Whale. Today's game they completely dominated.
 

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
Some updates. The Russian women won all 6 games against the NWHL. They then won a four nations tournament. The junior team has also been winning tournaments.

Valeriya Pavlova made her return to the national team and has looked really good. She is similar to Anna Shokhina.
 

MaxV

Registered User
Nov 6, 2006
4,888
590
New York, NY
Well, Russian U18 NT just beat Canadian U18 NT in World Championship. Great game.

Also, announcer claimed that Russians have the youngest team in the tournament.
 

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
Yes a great win. This is like what I have been talking about. The younger you go the better the Russian girls stack up against US and CAN. The top girls from this group can replace girls currently on the national team who are weak links.

Much of these girls I am already familiar with. One player that wasn't on my radar that stood out at times today is Маркова Илона - Женская хоккейная лига
 

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
I thought the officiating early on was terrible. It allowed Team USA to get a early lead and it was hard to dig out of that hole.

Near the end of the first period Farkhutdinova (who really should have been starting) came in and from that point on the game was 3-1 in Russia's favor.

I am pretty sure this is the best result Russia ever got against Team USA in this tournament. Last year for example they played twice (group and semis) and lost 6-1 and 6-0.
 

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
Beat Finland 2-0. Now play Sweden in the semis. The bracket actually worked out good because if they can beat Sweden then will be guaranteed the silver medal. Sweden has a great goalie though. Thats why Russia lost to them the other day and how Sweden was able to take US to overtime.

If they lose they will likely play Canada in the bronze medal game. It will be hard to beat them twice.
 

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
Spent some time predicting the Olympic roster based on who is being politically attacked at the moment.

Really only two girls who would have for sure made the team have been excluded. The rest either would likely not have made the team or are retired. Hopefully the CAS will do some actual justice but I highly doubt it.

Merkusheva
Morozova
Sorokina/Tarakanova/Prugova

Pirogova
Pechnikova
Batalova
Ganeyeva
Chistyakova
Goncharenko
Lobova
Nikolaeva

Sosina
Pavlova
Shokhina
Belyakova
Shtaryova
Kadirova
Dergacheva
Dyupina
Vafina
Kanayeva
Smolina
Malinovskaya
Dobrodeeva
Malyavko (not sure how serious her injury is)
 

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
The womens roster
DUZjVgDXUAM7IpU.jpg



There was news that Belyakova was going to get one of the BS uninvites but then that changed. I would like to see all the athletes being hit with that sue the piss out of the IOC.

The oddity for me is not taking Merkusheva who I feel is the best goaltender. I guess their thinking was they wanted one veteran and not three younger girls and she got the short end of the stick instead of Tarakanova.

Another oddity for me is picking Kulishova. Shes a younger player and really hasn't been on my radar at all. I've never been aware of her being a highly regarded prospect. Then they didn't select Vafina and Dobrodeeva who made the all star team.
 

RossiyaSport

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
173
72
www.instagram.com
Russian women beat a boys 15 year old team in a preparation game. I am really hoping they medal. [MOD]

Shibanova and Lebedeva are really the only two players they are without that are a real loss.

Pavlova is playing so good right now. Shes a real force. Then with girls like Sosina, Shokhina, Belykaova, they have plenty of scoring potential.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->