Sunday, December 7, 2014

Showing Some International Love: 2015 World Junior Championship - Division II Group A Preview

The World Junior (aka U20) tournaments kick off today in Estonia. The host are back with Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Romania. Great Britain joins them after being relegated to Division II will South Korea comes up form Group B.

Note: All information from the IIHF website.

Rosters

Estonia

Goalies:
Name
Team
Daniil Seppenen
Zalgiris Vilnius
Anatoli Sizov
Tallinn Viiking Sport

Defensemen:
Name
Team
Maksim Anohhin
Narva PSK
Deniss Antonov
Tallinn Viiking Sport
Vladlen Antsevski
Narva PSK
Andres Kato
Nynashamn IF
Nikita Markov
Kohtla-Jarve Viru Sputnik
Dmitri Patrusev
Narva PSK

Forwards:
Name
Team
Robert Arrak
Espoo Blues
Daniil Fursa
HASC Jurmala
Nikita Kozorev
Tallinn Viiking Sport
Konstantin Ljubobratets
Liepajas Metalurgs
Vladimir Nestertsuk
Kiekko-Vantaa
Jegor Petrov
Narva PSK
Maksim Puzakov
Tallinn Viiking Sport
Ragnar-Hindrek Russ
Asploven IF
German Samvel
Honeybaked Farmington Hills
Mihkel Sinikas
Espoo Blues
Nikita Smirnov
Espoo Blues
Michael Tugo
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins
Vadim Vasjonkin
Honeybaked Farmington Hills
Dmitri Vinogradov
Tallinn Viiking Sport


Great Britain

Goalies:
Name
Team
Adam Goss
Mercyhurst College
Jordan Hedley
Milton Keynes Lightning

Defensemen:
Name
Team
Declan Balmer
Basingstoke Bison
Callum Buglass
Swindon Wildcats
Joshua Grieveson
Middlesex
Craig Moore
Ogden Mustangs
Scott Robson
Peterborough Phantoms
Matthew Selby
Basingstoke Bison
Harvey Stead
Bracknell Bees

Forwards:
Name
Team
Ivan Antonov
Basingstoke Bison
Oliver Betteridge
Swindon Wildcats
Glen Billing
Okanagan Academy UK
Bobby Chamberlain
Manchester Phoenix
Jordan Cownie
Milton Keynes Lightning
Samuel Duggan
Orebro HK
Alexander Forbes
Ogden Mustangs
Lewis Hook
Milton Keynes Lightning
Toms Rutkis
Okanagan Academy UK
Michael Stratford
Okanagan Academy UK
Floyd Taylor
Swindon Wildcats
Samuel Towner
Hull Stingrays
Cameron Wynn
Basingstoke Bison


Lithuania

Goalies:
Name
Team
Simas Baltrunas
Platina Chisinau
Artur Pavliukov
Liepajas Metalurgs

Defensemen:
Name
Team
Domantas Cypas
HK Riga
Aurimas Gaidauskas
Energija Elektrenai
Jaunius Jasinevicius
Ostersund/Brunflo IF
Lukas Jonuska
Liepajas Metalurgs
Emestas Pavlovskis
Energija Elektrenai
Edgar Protcenko
Zalgiris Vilnius

Forwards:
Name
Team
Rokas Bazys
Energija Elektrenai
Dominykas Bisturys
Ober-Haus Vilnius
Edvinas Boroska
Zalgiris Vilnius
Deivid Cetvertak
HASC Jurmala
Ilja Cetvertak
Zalgiris Vilnius
Ugnius Cizas
Zalgiris Vilnius
Paulius Gintautas
IK Comet Halden
Simonas Gorelis
Bracebridge Blues
Emilijus Krakauskas
EHC Biel
Vilius Krakauskas
Liepajas Metalurgs
Denis Kuzminov
Liepajas Metalurgs
Arturas Laukaitis
Energija Elektrenai
Danielius Nomanovas
Zalgiris Vilnius
Ernestas Truksnys
Juodupe LRK


Netherlands

Goalies:
Name
Team
Mitchel Hamers
Eindhoven Kemphanen
Jefrey Vermeulen
Nijmegen Devils

Defensemen:
Name
Team
Evo Suurhoff
Eindhoven Kemphanen
Niels van der Vossen
Heerenveen Flyers
Boet van Gestel
Eindhoven Kemphanen
Kilian van Gorp
Tilburg Trappers
Rick van Haren
Laco Eaters Limburg
Guus van Nes
Eindhoven Kemphanen
Jordy Verkiel
Tilburg Trappers
Giovanni Vogelaar
Heerenveen Flyers
Thijs Voorn
Tilburg Trappers

Forwards:
Name
Team
Joey Beeren
Eindhoven Kemphanen
Bartek Bison
Alder Mannheim
Reno de Hondt
Tilburg Trappers
Justin Evers
Red Eagles Den Bosch
Jesse Hendriks
Eindhoven Kemphanen
Max Hermans
Laco Easters Limburg
Jord Smit
Laco Easters Limburg
Cas Staps
Tilburg Trappers
Danny Stempher
Eindhoven Kemphanen
Roderick van den Hout
White Caps Turnhout
Raymond van der Schuit
Eindhoven Kemphanen


Romania

Goalies:
Name
Team
Attila Adorjan
Miskolci JJSE
Gabriel Uruc
Steaua Bucharest

Defensemen:
Name
Team
Florin Creanga
Steaua Bucharest
Hugo Gecse
SC Miercurea Ciuc
Tihamer Gyorfy
Miskolci JJSE
Zsolt Matyas
Corona Brasov
Mircea Oniciuc
EV Regensburg
Szilard Orban
Miskolci JJSE

Forwards:
Name
Team
Tibor Albert
Miskolci JJSE
Gabriel Barbu
Sportul Studentesc Bucharest
Mircea Constantin
Steaua Bucharest
Hunor Csergo
Progym Gheorgheni
Robert Egyed
MAC Budapest
Istvan Gereb
SC Miercurea Ciuc
Szabolcs Hildebrand
SC Miercurea Ciuc
Arnold Kovacs
Miskolci JJSE
Zoltan Molnar
SC Miercurea Ciuc
Norbert Rokaly
SC Miercurea Ciuc
Arnold Sillo
MAC Budapest
Mihai Sotir
Steaua Bucharest
Gabriel Spiridon
Dunarea Galati
Zaharia Stefan
Steaua Bucharest


South Korea

Goalies:
Name
Team
Kweonyoung Kim
Yonsei University
Yeonseung Lee
Korea University

Defensemen:
Name
Team
Byung Jun Bae
Kwangwoon University
Jonghyun Jung
Yonsei University
Jinhwan Kim
Yonsei University
Ju Young Mun
Yonsei University
Kyoung Jun Seo
Korea University
Yeoungjun Seo
Korea University
Hyeongcheol Song
Yonsei University

Forwards:
Name
Team
Jin Young Heo
Yonsei University
Doo Hyun Hwang
Korea University
Dohyung Kim
Korea University
Mincheol Kim
Korea University
Sangwon Kim
Yonsei University
Seongjun Kim
Kyunghee University
Chonghyun Lee
Sun Duck HS
Seung Ho Lee
Yonsei University
Junsung Park
Kyunghee University
Dong Chul Shin
Korea University
Taekwang Son
Yonsei University


Schedule

December 7
Netherlands - Great Britain
Lithuania - Romania
South Korea - Estonia

December 8
Great Britain - Lithuania
Netherlands - South Korea
Estonia - Romania

December 10
Lithuania - South Korea
Great Britain - Romania
Netherlands - Estonia

December 12
Romania - Netherlands
South Korea - Great Britain
Estonia - Lithuania

December 13
Romania - South Korea
Lithuania - Netherlands
Great Britain - Estonia

Notes
  • A few NHL connections in this tournament. Sami Helenius is the head coach of Estonia while Richard Park is an assistant coach with South Korea.
  • For OHL fans, former Guelph Storm Bo Subr is an assistant coach for the Netherlands.
  • I won't go on a huge diatribe about this, but it is disappointing that Daniel Sprong elected to try and go for Canada (he probably won't make it when he's eligible) and not go for his home country, the Netherlands. It's his call and he's free to choose what country to represent, it would have been nice though to see a player in his situation go with the weaker hockey nation and build them up through the ranks. 
  • One of the goalies cut from Lithuania (Germantas Juskaitis) plays high school hockey in Dartmouth.
  • Oldest team: South Korea (average age is 19)
  • Youngest team: Estonia (average age is 17)
  • Lightest team: South Korea (163lbs)
  • Heaviest team: tie, Great Britain and the Netherlands (176lbs)
  • Shortest team: South Korea (5'10")
  • Tallest team: Estonia, Great Britain, Lithuania, and the Netherlands (6'0") 
  • When (Byung Jun) Bae makes the South Korean team...(even I'm booing myself for that).
Prediction

1 (Promoted) - Great Britain
2 - Lithuania
3 - Estonia
4 - South Korea
5 - Netherlands
6 (Relegated) - Romania

Great Britain is coming off being relegated so there is a good chance they make it through. I struggle with the seeding of Lithuania and Estonia. In the end I decided to put Lithuania at two and Estonia at three. I expect a bump for South Korea. As they host the Olympics in a couple years, I see them continue to climb and avoid going back to Group B. Netherlands probably take a step back and end up in fifth. I'm not confident in Romania staying up, they will be relegated to Group B.

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