Showing Some International Love: 2014 World Junior Championship - Division II Group A Preview

Hungary host this Division II tournament, and will be looking to earn a promotion after finishing second last year. Croatia was relegated from Division I last year and hopes get right back into it. On the other side of the table, newly-promoted Estonia will hope to stay in Group A a bit longer, while Lithuania hopes to do better than their 5th place finish last year. The Netherlands and Romania round out the group, and are two teams that can surprise some of the teams in the group.

Note: Most information from the IIHF website.

Rosters

Croatia
Goalies:

Name	Club
Vilim Rosandic	HK Nitra
Ivan Stimac Rojtinic	Mladost Zagreb

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Toni Boric	Mladost Zagreb
Domagoj Kapetanic	Medvescak Zagreb
Bruno Kegalj	Iskra Banska Bystrica
Martin Plesko	Medvescak Zagreb
Tommy Raknic	EHC Timmendorfer Strand 06
Roman Skrapec	KHL Zagreb

Forwards:

Name	Club
Robert Cerovecki	HC Orli Znojmo
Fran Gjoni	SaiPa Lappeenranta
Ivan Jankovic	KHL Zagreb
Luka Jarcov	KHL Zagreb
Josip Jazbec	Medvescak Zagreb
Tin Kovacek	Medvescak Zagreb
Matija Krivosic	Medvescak Zagreb
Matija Milicic	KHL Zagreb
Jan Novotny	KHL Zagreb
Renato Platuzic	Medvescak Zagreb
Luka Ruzic	Medvescak Zagreb
Marko Sakic	Medvescak Zagreb
Jan Smolec	Mladost Zagreb
Luka Vukoja	Iskra Banska Bystrica

Estonia
Goalies:

Name	Club
Daniil Seppenen	Narva PSK
Anatoli Sizov	Tallinn Viiking Sport

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Maksim Anohhin	Narva PSK
Deniss Antonov	HC Panter Tallinn
Vladlen Antsevski	Narva PSK
Vladislav Dotskin	Tallinn Viiking Sport
Andres Kato	HC Panter Tallinn
Silver Kerna	KooKoo Kouvola
Martin Terna	Tartu Kalev-Valk

Forwards:

Name	Club
Daniil Fursa	Zemgale Jelgava
Pavel Kulakov	Narva PSK
Konstantin Ljubobratets	Tallinn Viiking Sport
Kevin Parras	KooKoo Kouvola
Jegor Petrov	Narva PSK
Maksim Puzakov	Nynashamn IF
Ragnar-Hindrek Russ	HC Panter Tallinn
Mihkel Sinikas	Nynashamn IF
Michael Tugo	Nynashamn IF
Vadim Vasjonkin	Lake Forest Academy
Georgi Vassiljev	Narva PSK
Dmitri Vinogradov	HC Panter Tallinn
Aleksandr Zaitsev	HC Panter Tallinn

Hungary
Goalies:

Name	Club
Oliver Agoston	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Gergely Arany	MAC Budapest

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Mate Arany	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Krisztian Dosa	MAC Budapest
Zsombor Garat	MAC Budapest
Gergely Korbuly	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Tamas Laday	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Attila Reiter	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Bence Stipsicz	MAC Budapest

Forwards:

Name	Club
Csanad Erdely	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Vilmos Gallo	Linkopings HC
Erik Keresztury	Dusseldorf EG
Ferenc Kocsis	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Aron Konczei	Debrecen AHK
Krisztian Nagy	Minot Minotauros
Aron Reisz	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Laszlo Rito	Miskolci JJSE
Tamas Sarpatki	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Balasz Sebok	Karpat Oulu
Krisztian Szabo	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Peter Vincze	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar
Roland Vokla	Ocskay Academy Szekesfehervar

Lithuania
Goalies:

Name	Club
Simas Baltrunas	Baltica Vilnius
Donatas Zukovas	Energija Elektrenai

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Daniel Benilov	Krylia Sovietov Moscow
Domantas Cypas	IFK Arboga
Aurimas Gaidauskas	Energija Elektrenai
Simonas Gorelis	Baltica Vilnius
Jaunius Jasinevicius	AIK Harnosand
Edgar Protcenko	Iserholn Roosters

Forwards:

Name	Club
Mauras Baltrukonis	HK MVD Tver
Rokas Bazys	Baltica Vilnius
Dominykas Bisturys	Energija Elektrenai
Daniel Bogdziul	HC Moloda Gvardia
Edvinas Boroska	Baltica Vilnius
Ilja Cetvertak	Baltica Vilnius
Ugnius Cizas	Sport Vaasa
Aimas Fiscevas	Baltica Vilnius
Paulius Gintautas	Energija Elektrenai
Mantas Marcinkevicius	Energija Elektrenai
Danielius Nomanovas	Baltica Vilnius
Erikas Sadauskas	Baltica Vilnius
Lukas Vezelis	Energija Elektrenai
Donatas Vitte	Energija Elektrenai

Netherlands
Goalies:

Name	Club
Mike Beeren	NIJA Talents Eindhoven
Mitchel Hamers	Eindhoven Kemphanen

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Willem Gloudemans	Eindhoven Kemphanen
Mike Groenhof	Gijs Bears Groningen
Evo Suurhoff	NIJA Talents Eindhoven
Boet van Gestel	Tilburg Trappers
Kilian van Gorp	NIJA Talents Eindhoven
Rick van Haren	Krefelder EV
Jordy Verkiel	Tilburg Trappers
Giovanni Vogelaar	NIJA Talents Eindhoven
Kenny Welles	NIJA Talents Eindhoven

Forwards:

Name	Club
Koen Bakker	Eindhoven Kemphanen
Reno de Hondt	Flint Generals
Jim Gudden	Red Eagles Den Bosch
Jordy Knoren	Maine Moose Hockey
Tom Marx	Eindhoven Kemphanen
Tony Ras	HYS The Hague
Cas Staps	Tilburg Trappers
Danny Stempher	Eindhoven Kemphanen
Raymond van der Schuit	NIJA Talents Eindhoven
Rocco van Hoorn	Dordrecht Lions
Guus van Nes	NIJA Talents Eindhoven

Romania
Goalies:

Name	Club
Attila Adorjan	HSC Csikszereda
Zoltan Toke	Debrecen AHK

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Arnold Bors	Alba Volan Szekesfehervar
Huba Bors	HSC Csikszereda
Hugo Gecse	HSC Csikszereda
Andrei Gheba	EHC Freiburg
Detre Hodos	Ujpeste TE
Csanad Okos	(None)
Alpar Sallo	HSC Csikszereda
Nandor Tamas	Debrecen AHK

Forwards:

Name	Club
Gergo Biro	HK Nitra
Matyas Biro	HK Nitra
Mircea Constantin	Steaua Bucharest
Hunor Csergo	Progym Gheorgheni
Dennis Dumitru	Corona Brasov
Robert Egyed	MAC Budapest
Szabolcs Hildebrand	HSC Csikszereda
Zoltan Molnar	HSC Csikszereda
Balazs Peter	Krefelder EV
Anton Popa	Dunarea Galati
Norbert Rokaly	HSC Csikszereda
Arnold Sillo	MAC Budapest

Schedule

December 15
Estonia - Netherlands
Hungary - Lithuania
Romania - Croatia

December 16
Lithuania - Estonia
Hungary - Romania
Croatia - Netherlands

December 18
Croatia - Lithuania
Hungary - Estonia
Romania - Netherlands

December 20
Lithuania - Romania
Netherlands - Hungary
Estonia - Croatia

December 21
Netherlands - Lithuania
Croatia - Hungary
Romania - Estonia

Prediction

1 (Promoted) - Croatia
2 - Hungary
3 - Netherlands
4 - Romania
5 - Estonia
6 (Relegated) - Lithuania

I kept going back between Croatia and Hungary, but in the end Croatia look a bit better than Hungary. The Netherlands do have that potential to surprise, but may up ending in third. Romania takes a step back and ends up in fourth. Estonia blew out the competition in Group B last year, and will be in tight against Lithuania to avoid relegation. Estonia stays up while Lithuania tumbles down to Group B for next year.