Showing Some International Love: World Junior Championship - Division I Group B

Group B is hosted by Ukraine, who was recently promoted to Division I. This group has the potential to be the most surprising group of the lower divisions.

Note: Most infomation from the IIHF website.

Roster

Croatia
Goalies: Ivan Ruzic (Medvescak Zagreb), Ivan Stimac Rojtinic (Mladost Zagreb), Mate Tomljenovic (Medvescak Zagreb), Andrej Vasiljevic (HK 36 Skalica)
Defensemen: Luka Boric (Mladost Zagreb), Toni Boric (Mladost Zagreb),Teo Buinac (Medvescak Zagreb), Alain Cavkic (Medvescak Zagreb), Domagoj Kapetanic (Medvescak Zagreb), Bruno Kegalj (KHL Zagreb), Jan Lendo (Medvescak Zagreb), Luka Markovic (Dukla Trencin), Borna Silovic (HKm Zvolen), Roman Skrapec (KHL Zagreb)
Forwards: Damir Bukovic (Medvescak Zagreb), Roberto Cerovecki (Znojemsti Orli), Ivan Jankovic (KHL Zagreb), Luka Jarcov (KHL Zagreb), Josip Jazbec (Medvescak Zagreb), Ivo Kaleb (KHL Zagreb), Domagoj Krivosic (Medvescak Zagreb), Luka Mikulic (Medvescak Zagreb), Matija Milicic (KHL Zagreb), Mateo Nardin (Medvescak Zagreb), Jan Novotny (KHL Zagreb), Kresimir Polasek (KHL Zagreb), Luka Razic (Medvescak Zagreb), Marko Sakic (KAC Klagenfurt), Ivan Simunovic (Mladost Zagreb), Luka Vukoja (Red Bull Salzburg)

Great Britain
Goalies: Andrew Brummitt (Chelmsford Chieftains), Adam Goss (Coventry Blaze)
Defensemen: Declan Balmer (Petersborough Phantoms), Jamie Chilcott (Space Coast Hurricanes), Samuel Godfrey (Slough Jets), James Griffin (Coventry Blaze), Jonathan Kirk (Sheffield Bulldogs), Matthew Selby (Coventry Blaze), Zach Sullivan (Basingstoke Bison), Paul Swindlehurst (Swidon Wildcats), Lewis Turner (Bracknell Bees)
Forwards: Callum Bowley (Telford Tigers), Luke Brittle (Telford Tigers), Aaron Connolly (Slough Jets), Jordan Cownie (Petersborough Phantoms), Luke Ferrara (Petersborough Phantoms), Adam Harding (Cardiff Devils), Andrew Melachrino (Basingstoke Bison), Jack Musil (Space Coast Hurricanes), Ross Venus (Coventry Blaze), Jack Watkins (Dundee Stars), William Weldon (Petersborough Phantoms)

Italy
Goalies: Giancarlo Kostner (HC Gherdeina), Martin Rabanser (EV Ravensburg), Gianluca Vallini (SHC Fassa)
Defensemen: Lorenzo Casetti (HC Asiago), Danny Elliscasis (Pustertal Bruneck), Daniel Glira (Pustertal Bruneck), Daniel Maffia (EV Fussen), Michael Messner (Viptieno Broncos), Gabriele Moretti (SG Cortina), Andreas Radin (HC Meran), Ruben Rampazzo (Ritten Sport), Andrea Schina (Real Torino), Alex Trivellato (Eisbaren Berlin)
Forwards: Raphael Andergassen (SV Kaltern), Marcello Borghi (Milano Rossoblu), Martin Castlunger (SHC Fassa), Nicola Deluca (SHC Fassa), Daniel Frank (HC Meran), Alex Frei (SV Kaltern), Luca Frigo (Omaha Lancers), Peter Hochkofler (Red Bull Salzberg), Jose Antonia Magnabosco (HC Asiago), Michele Marchetti (HC Fassa), Benno Obermair (SV Kaltern), Jan Pavlu (Heilbronner EC), Joachim Ramoser (Eisbaren Berlin), Oliver Schenk (HC Gherdeina), Michele Stevan (HC Asiago), Michael Sullmann Pilser (HC Neumarkt), Davide Testori (Alleghe Hockey), Patrick Torman (Alleghe Hockey)

Kazakhstan
Goalies: Valeri Sevidov (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk), Roman Shtefan (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk)
Defensemen: Stepan Alexandrov (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk), Vyacheslav Borisov (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Madiar Ibraibekov (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Danair Kairov (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Andrei Kurachyov (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk), Andrei Medyanik (Gornyak Rudny), Vladimir Mezhebitski (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Yuri Sergienko (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk), Ivan Stepanenko (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Stanislav Zinchenko (Snezhnye Barsy Astana)
Forwards: Ramazen Aldamzharov (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Dmitri Fisenko (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk), Maxat Ibrayev (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Nurlan Kabiev (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Semyon Koshelev (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk), Artyom Likhotnikov (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Nikita Mikhailis (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Anton Okunev (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Vladislav Podkorytov (Arlan Kokshetau), Anton Sagadeyev (Snezhnye Barsy Astana), Kirill Savitski (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk), Arkadi Shestakov (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk), Sergei Stukalov (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk), Yesmukhanbet Tolepbergen (Snezhnye Barsy Astana)

Poland
Goalies: Robert Kowalowka (Unia Oswiecim), Mateusz Skrabalak (KH Sanok), David Zabolotny (SMS Sosnowiec)
Defensemen: Lukasz Bulanowski (KH Sanok), Dariusz Gaczol (MMKS Nowy Targ), Jakub Giminski (SMS Sosnowiec), Piotr Huzarski (Sokoly Torun), Marcin Kolodziej (Sielec Sosnowiec), Arkadiusz Kostek (SMS Sosnowiec), Igor Sarna (Zaprzod Janow), Karol Szaniawski (Mazowsze Legia Warsaw), Lukasz Sznotala (Cracovia Krakow)
Forwards: Hubert Demkowicz (KH Sanok), Adam Domogala (Frankfurt Lions), Kacper Guzik (GKS Katowice), Michal Kalinowski (GKS Katowice), Daniel Kapica (MMKS Nowy Targ), Dawid Majoch (Zaglebie Sosnowiec), Patryk Malicki (Unia Oswiecim), Lukasz Nalewajka (GKS Jastrzebie), Radoslaw Nalewajka (GKS Jastrzebie), Martin Pawelski (MHK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas), Filip Starzynski (Bismarck Bobcats), Jakub Stasiewicz (Stocznioweic Gdansk), Filip Stopinski (SMS Sosnowiec), Damian Zarotynski (MMKS Nowy Targ)

Ukraine
Goalies: Mykhailo Shevchuk (Levy Novoyavorivsk), Pavlo Yachnyk (Berkut Kyiv), Danil Yeliseyev (Bily Bars Brovary), Eduard Zakharchenko (Olimpiets Balashikha)
Defensemen: Anton Dyky (Sokil Kyiv), Dmytro Ignatenko (Bily Bars Brovary), Andri Lyashok (Levy Novoyavorivsk), Valentyn Sirchenko (Sokil Kyiv), Danylo Skrypets (Kristall Berdsk), Vsevolod Tolstushko (Sokil Kyiv), Volodymyr Varyvoda (HK Kremenchuk), Artem Yevseichyk (Sokil Kyiv), Ruslan Zabulonov (HK Kremenchuk)
Forwards: Kyrylo Bondarenko (Traktor Chelyabinsk), Dmytro Chernyshenko (Berkut Kyiv), Andri Istominov (Wichita Thunder), Sevastian Karpenko (Sokil Kyiv), Oleg Komarchev (Bily Bars Brovary), Vladislav Kursky (Levy Novoyavorivsk), Vladyslav Kutsevych (Ak Bars Kazan), Sergi Kuzmik (Bily Bars Brovary), Artur Lysak (Dynamo Kharkiv), Maxym Martyshko (Donbass Donets'k), Igor Mykulko (Sokil Kyiv), Pavlo Padakin (Calgary Hitmen), Yuri Petrangovsky (Sokil Kyiv), Ivan Pidgursky (Berkut Kyiv), Ruslan Romashenko (Kompanion Kyiv), Ivan Savchenko (Dynamo Kharkiv), Olexi Yanishevsky (Berkut Kyiv), Viktor Zakharov (Donbass Donets'k)

Schedule

December 10
Poland vs. Kazakhstan
Croatia vs. Italy
Ukraine vs. Great Britain

December 12
Kazakhstan vs. Croatia
Great Britain vs. Poland
Italy vs. Ukraine

December 13
Great Britain vs. Croatia
Kazakhstan vs. Italy
Ukraine vs. Poland

December 15
Italy vs. Great Britain
Poland vs. Croatia
Kazakhstan vs. Ukraine

December 16
Italy vs. Poland
Great Britain vs. Kazakhstan
Croatia vs. Ukraine

Notables

• Croatia only have 4 registered team officials. In unrelated news, I got a resume to update (and a language to brush up on).
• Great Britain head coach Andre Payette was a Flyers 10th round pick in 1994.
• Former NHLer Alexander Godynyuk is the head coach for Ukraine.
• Total players in North America count: 1 WHL, 1 USHL, 1 CHL, 1 NAHL, and 2 EJHL

Prediction

1 (Promoted) - Kazakhstan
2 - Great Britain
3 - Italy
4 - Ukraine
5 - Poland
6 (Relegated) - Croatia

I believe that Kazakhstan is skilled enough to get over a recently-relegated Great Britain squad and earn the promotion. Italy stays dormant in third. Ukraine will stun everyone by finishing fourth. Poland will struggle to hang on, but will end up winning out against Croatia. Croatia gets demoted to Division II Group A.