REST OF THE WORLD IN THE RUNNING

With Russia banished from another WJC, there are more countries in the mix for the medal round and beyond

WITH RYAN KENNEDY

WHEN RUSSIA WAS BOOTED from IIHF competitions in response to the nation’s invasion of Ukraine, a lot of folks predicted it would make the world juniors less intriguing. And to be fair, when one of the power countries (plus Belarus, which was also banned) is absent, you might think the proceedings would be less competitive. In fact, the opposite has become true. There have been two WJC tournaments since Russia’s ouster, and both featured unexpected results. In 2022 – the summer version, not the ‘Red Deer Wedding’ debacle – upstart teams Latvia and Germany finished third in their groups. So, not only did these typical minnow countries make the medal round, but they did so with legitimate wins already under their belt: Latvia beat the Czechs in the round-robin while Germany bested…

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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, World Juniors Special 2024

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