The Euro Hockey Tour moves to Russia, and this time it looks a lot more interesting (for the Russian side at least). Will Russia defend the Motherland? Will the Czechs defend their 1st place finish after the Karjala Tournament? Here is the preview for the Channel One Cup.
(Most information from the IH Forums)
Rosters
Czech Republic
Goalies: Ondrej Pavalec* (Bili Tygri Liberec), Alexandr Salak (Farjestad)
Defense: Jakub Kindl* (CSOB Pojistovna Pardubice), Jakub Krejcik (Lev Praha), Zdenek Kutlak (HC Ambri-Piotta), Jakub Nakladal (Spartek Moscow), Filip Novak (Dynamo Moscow), Roman Polak* (HC Vitkovice Steel), Martin Skoula (Lev Praha)
Forwards: Michal Frolik* (Pirati Chomutov), Martin Hanzal* (Mountfield Ceske Budejovice), Ales Hemsky* (HC Pardubice), Petr Koukal (Neftekhimsk Nizhnekamsk), David Krejci* (HC Pardubice), Petr Nedved (Bili Tygri Liberec), Jabuk Petruzalek (Khabarovsk Amur), Tomas Plekanec* (Rytiri Kladno), Tomas Rolinek (Salavat Yulaev UFA), Martin Ruzicka (Ocelari Trinec), Jakub Svoboda (Kometa Brno), Jiri Tlusty* (Rytiri Kladno), Michal Vondrka (Slovan Bratislava), Jakub Voracek* (Lev Praha)
Finland
Goalies: Ari Ahonen (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Joni Ortio (HIFK Helsinki)
Defense: Teemu Eronen (Jokerit Helsinki), Lasse Kukkonen (Rogle BK), Teemu Laakso (Severstal Cherepovets), Sami Lepisto (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl), Mikko Maenpaa (CSKA Moscow), Ilari Melart (HIFK Helsinki), Kristian Nakyva (JYP Jyvaskyla), Atte Ohtamaa (Karpat Oulu)
Forwards: Juha-Matti Aaltonen (Rogle BK), Jonas Enlund (Sibir Novosibirsk), Tommi Huhtala (Espoo Blues), Toni Kahkonen (Karpat Oulu), Tuomas Kiiskinen (Donbass Donets'k), Ville Koho (SaiPa Lappeenranta), Kristian Kuusela (Espoo Blues), Miika Lahti (JYP Jyvaskyla), Jori Lehtera (Sibir Novosibirsk), Oscar Osala (Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk), Antti Pihlstrom (Salavat Yulaev UFA), Teemu Ramstedt (Espoo Blues), Jere Sallinen (HPK Hameenlinna)
Russia
Goalies: Konstantin Barulin (Ak Bars Kazan), Ilya Bryzgalov* (CSKA Moscow), Vasili Koshechkin (Severstal Cherepovets)
Defense: Anton Belov (Avangard Omsk), Yevgeny Biryukov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Denis Denisov (CSKA Moscow), Konstantin Korneyev (Ak Bars Kazan), Evgeny Medvedev (Ak Bars Kazan), Ilya Nikulin* (Ak Bars Kazan), Evgeni Ryasensky (CSKA Moscow) Yakov Rylov (CSKA Moscow), Fyodor Tyutin* (Atlant Moscow Region), Alexei Yelmin* (Salavat Yulaev)
Forwards: Artem Anisimov* (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl),Yegor Averin (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl), Evgeny Dadonov* (Donbass Donets'k), Pavel Datsyuk* (CSKA Moscow), Dmitri Kazionov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Ilya Kovalchuk* (SKA St. Petersburg), Nikolai Kulyomin* (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Yevgeni Malkin* (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Sergei Mozyakin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Alexander Ovechkin* (Dynamo Moscow), Alexei Perezhogin (Avangard Omsk), Sergei Plotnikov (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl), Alexander Popov (Avangard Omsk), Vadim Shipachyov (Severstal Cherepovets), Sergei Shirokov (CSKA Moscow), Alexei Tereshchenko (Ak Bars Kazan), Nikolai Zherdev (Atlant Moscow Region)
Sweden
Goalies: Jonas Enroth* (Almtuna IS), Anders Lindback* (Ilves Tampere)
Defense: Jonas Ahnelov (MODO), Niclas Burstrom (Skelleftea), Sebastien Erixon (Timra IK), Carl Gunnarsson* (Orebro HK), Victor Hedman* (Barys Astana), Staffan Kronwall (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl), Tobias Viklund (AIK)
Forwards: Nicklas Backstrom* (Dynamo Moscow), Patrik Berglund* (VIK Vasteras), Nicklas Danielsson (SC Bern), Jimmie Ericsson (Skelleftea AIK), Marcus Johansson* (Bofors IK), Oscar Lindberg (Skelleftea AIK), Joakim Lindstrom (Skelleftea AIK), Joel Lundqvist (Frolunda HC), Niklas Persson (CSKA Moscow), Fredrik Pettersson (Donbass Donets'k), Viktor Stalberg* (Atlant Mytischi), Carl Soderberg (Linkopings HC)
* Notes locked out players
Schedule
All games are in Moscow, Russia unless denoted.
December 13
Finland vs. Czech Republic (in Helsinki, Finland)
Sweden vs. Russia
December 15
Russia vs. Czech Republic
Finland vs. Sweden
December 16
Russia vs. Finland
Czech Republic vs. Sweden
Last Year (Channel One Cup)
Sweden 2W - 1L - 6PTS - +2GD
Czech Republic 1W - 1OTW - 1L - 5PTS - +4GD
Russia 1W - 1OTL - 1L - 4 PTS - 0GD
Finland 1W - 2L - 3PTS - -6GD
Euro Hockey Tour Standings
1 - Czech Republic 3W - 0L - 9PTS - +4GD
2 - Finland 1W - 1OTW - 1L - 5PTS - +2GD
3 - Russia 1W - 1OTL - 1L - 4PTS - -1GD
4 - Sweden 0W - 3L - 0PTS - -5GD
Predictions
1 - Russia
2 - Czech Republic
3 - Sweden
4 - Finland
Now THIS was the Russian team I was expecting. Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk, Datsyuk.....Korneyev. It's basically Russia's preliminary roster for Sochi 2014. It would not be surprising to see them to run the table.
Czech Republic did reinforce their roster, but for the most part went with a "if it ain't broke, why fix it" approach. They should be able to take the second spot, but alos have the potential to upset Russia to end up first.
Sweden has come in with a lot better team.Their roster has turned over quite a bit, but it has been for the better. In comparing against the other teams, they do not seem to stack up against the Czechs and Russians. Not to say they don't ahve what it takes to beat them, but it will be an uphill battle.
Just like Sweden, Finland went for the complete roster overhaul. Unfortunately, it looks like they went in the other direction. While they did end up second in the Karjala portion, their games were closer than they would probably like. The turnover is understandable, but they aren't replacing the talent they are getting rid of.
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