Showing Some International Love: 2018 Olympic Final Qualification - Group F Preview

Norway host Group F in the final Olympic Qualification round. The host have been in the past two Olympics, and will want to extend that streak to three. France comes in looking to qualify for the Games for the first time since 2002. Kazakhstan and Italy both share having their last Olympic appearance in 2006 (the Kazakhs qualified, Italy was the host) and both want to make it back into the main tournament.

Note: Most information from the fancy IIHF website.

World Rankings

11. Norway
14. France
16. Kazakhstan
18. Italy

Rosters

France

Goalies:

Name	Team
Florian Hardy	Dornbirner EC
Cristobal Huet	Lausanne HC
Ronan Quemener	Aalborg Pirates

Defensemen:

Name	Team
Gregory Beron	HC Amiens Somme
Nicolas Besch	Bordeaux GHC
Florian Chakiachvili	Rouen Dragons
Kevin Hecquefeuille	SCL Tigers
Jonathan Janil	Bordeaux GHC
Antonin Manavian	Fehervar AV 19

Forwards:

Name	Team
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare	Philadelphia Flyers
Valentin Claireaux	KeuPa HT
Stephane da Costa	CSKA Moscow
Teddy da Costa	Sport Vaasa
Floran Douay	Geneve-Servette HC
Damien Fleury	Kunlun Red Star
Brian Henderson	ASG Angers les Ducs
Maxime Lacroix	ASG Angers les Ducs
Loic Lamperier	Rouen Dragons
Laurent Meunier	HC La Chaux-de-Fonds
Jordann Perret	Rouen Dragons
Damien Raux	Rouen Dragons
Sacha Treille	Rouen Dragons
Yorick Treille	Rouen Dragons

Italy

Goalies:

Name	Team
Andreas Bernard	Assat Pori
Frederic Cloutier	Asiago Hockey
Gianluca Vallini	HC Gherdeina

Defensemen:

Name	Team
Alexander Gellert	HC Bolzano
Armin Hofer	Pusteral/Val Pusteria
Stefano Marchetti	Asiago Hockey
Enrico Miglioranzi	Kallinge/Ronneby IF
Hannes Oberdorfer	HC Bolzano
Alex Trivellato	Schwenninger Wild Wings
Luca Zanatta	HC Red Ice Martigny-Verbier

Forwards:

Name	Team
Raphael Andergassen	Pusteral/Val Pusteria
Nathan di Casmirro	HC Bolzano
Markus Gander	HC Bolzano
Marco Insam	HC Bolzano
Diego Kostner	HC Ambri-Piotta
Simon Kostner	Ritten/Renon
Michele Marchetti	HC Bolzano
Giovanni Morini	HC Lugano
Giulio Scandella	No Team
Markus Spinell	Ritten/Renon
Tommaso Traversa	Real Torino

Kazakhstan

Goalies:

Name	Team
Vitali Kolesnik	Barys Astana
Dmitri Malgin	Barys Astana
Pavel Poluektov	Barys Astana

Defensemen:

Name	Team
Kevin Dallman	Barys Astana
Madiyar Ibraybekov	Barys Astana
Artemi Lakiza	Barys Astana
Alexander Lipin	Barys Astana
Roman Savchenko	Barys Astana
Maxim Semyonov	Barys Astana
Vyacheslav Tryasunov	Barys Astana

Forwards:

Name	Team
Nursultan Belgibayev	Barys Astana
Brandon Bochenski	Barys Astana
Nigel Dawes	Barys Astana
Dmitri Grents	Barys Astana
Nikita Ivanov	Barys Astana
Maxim Khudyakov	Barys Astana
Ivan Kuchin	Barys Astana
Vladimir Markelov	Barys Astana
Konstantin Pushkaryov	Barys Astana
Yevgeni Rymarev	Barys Astana
Alexander Shin	Barys Astana
Roman Starchenko	Barys Astana

Norway

Goalies:

Name	Team
Lars Haugen	Farjestad BK
Henrik Haukeland	Leksands IF
Steffen Soberg	Valerenga IF

Defensemen:

Name	Team
Stefan Espeland	Lorenskog IK
Jonas Holos	Farjestad BK
Mattias Norstebo	Frolunda HC
Henrik Odegaard	Frisk Asker
Dennis Sveum	Stavanger Oilers
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen	Farjestad BK

Forwards:

Name	Team
Andre Bastiansen	Frisk Asker
Kristian Forsberg	Stavanger Oilers
Tommy Kristiansen	Stavanger Oilers
Andreas Martinsen	Colorado Avalanche
Ken Andre Olimb	Linkopings HC
Mathis Olimb	Linkopings HC
Mats Rosseli Olsen	Frolunda HC
Niklas Roest	Sparta Sarpsborg
Martin Roymark	Tappara Tampere
Eirik Salsten	Stavanger Oilers
Patrick Thoresen	ZSC Lions
Mathias Trettenes	Almtuna IS
Mats Zuccarello	New York Rangers

Schedule

September 1
France - Italy
Kazakhstan - Norway

September 2
France - Kazakhstan
Norway - Italy

September 4
Italy - Kazakhstan
Norway - France

Predictions

1 (Qualify for Olympics) - France
2 - Norway
3 - Kazakhstan
4 - Italy

Maybe I take it back and say that Group F is really the hardest to pick in general. All four teams are relatively close enough where upsets could realistically happen. My pick in the end is for France, as they'll end the longest Olympic drought of the group. Norway finishes slightly behind them in second. Kazakhstan battles, but ends up in third place. Italy's all-Italian plan is slowly coming to fruition, but is still a couple years away. The Italians end up in fourth.