Div2 Group A

Forget this Canada V Russia nonsense we have the battle of Asia coming up. China, Japan, Lithuania, Serbia & Montenegro, Netherlands and the host Romanians do battle to see who goes up to Division 1.

This will be fun. I suppose Japan are the favorites.

I didn't even know Serbia and Netherlands had hockey teams.

Go Lithuania! What a powerhouse of hockey. ;)

Go Lithuania! What a powerhouse of hockey. ;)

In a few years, they could very well reach the level of Latvia, or even Belarus.

In a few years, they could very well reach the level of Latvia, or even Belarus.

ehm yeah, but still a long road. they lost to the netherlands with 2-7. unfortunately there's no liveticker.

i wonder what chances the netherlands have. i somehow hope for another tommie hartogs. :)

ehm yeah, but still a long road. they lost to the netherlands with 2-7. unfortunately there's no liveticker.

i wonder what chances the netherlands have. i somehow hope for another tommie hartogs. :)

How can they suck so much compared to Latvia. They're neighbors for heavens sake. Just like Sweden and Norway and Russia and Mongolia... erm...

How can they suck so much compared to Latvia. They're neighbors for heavens sake. Just like Sweden and Norway and Russia and Mongolia... erm...

isn't it all about basketball in lithuania?

Go Lithuania! What a powerhouse of hockey. ;)

Don't know much about Lithuanian hockey, but the neighbouring Latvians did beat team Russia recently in an international tourney (a year or two ago, I think). I believe it was only the second time when that happened. From my wife, who is Latvian, I heard that the whole country went crazy with celebration :)

isn't it all about basketball in lithuania?

Maybe. They should really start considering hockey, though, we need more hockey in the world.

Maybe. They should really start considering hockey, though, we need more hockey in the world.

Unfortunately, I don't think they give a rat's *** about hockey. It really is a basketball country.

That's too bad. I've been trying to even name a few players in the NHL who came from Lithuania, all that I can come up with is Zubrus and Kasparaitis.

That's too bad. I've been trying to even name a few players in the NHL who came from Lithuania, all that I can come up with is Zubrus and Kasparaitis.

I don't think Kasparaitis ever played for Lithuania...or any of their clubs.

I don't think Kasparaitis ever played for Lithuania...or any of their clubs.I am guessing that he meant Lithuania-born.

But it is unfortunate that they don't care about hockey as much as Latvia and Belarus do...

I am guessing that he meant Lithuania-born.


That's what I meant. :)

Maybe. They should really start considering hockey, though, we need more hockey in the world.

i agree that hockey could need more good countries, but why should they play hockey when they're one of the best basketball nations in the world. it's not a big country and you can't compete in two or more sports. they're mediocre in soccer and that's about it. they have no need for hockey.

here are the complete results of the first day:

lithuania - netherlands 2-7
china - japan 0-5
serbia/montenegro - romania 3-6

akim ramoul of netherlands is the only player in this tournament who is playing in the US. unfortunately i do no know where. he had 2 goals and 1 assist today.

the netherlands have three players with 6'5...impressing. china has one with 6'4 at least and japan's biggest player is 6'2 while all the others are true midgets. :)

results of the 2nd day:

netherlands - china 3-2
japan - serbia/montenegro 12-1
romania - lithuania 9-1

on thursday the first interesting match when romania faces the netherlands. tomorrow no games.

I'll put my Yen on Japan.

I've heard that there is something like a Division Five World Junior Championships which features teams like Mexico, Israel and Turkey. Nonetheless, I think it's good to see some of these countries not recognized at all for hockey beginning to play at the junior level.

I've heard that there is something like a Division Five World Junior Championships which features teams like Mexico, Israel and Turkey. Nonetheless, I think it's good to see some of these countries not recognized at all for hockey beginning to play at the junior level.

it's just division three though. it's the lowest level of junior hockey. the tournament will be played in mexico city next week. six teams will participate: bulgaria, iceland, new zealand, south africa, turkey and of course mexiko.

results of the 3rd gameday:

japan - lithuania 9-0
china - serbia/montenegro 4-3
romania - netherlands 5-4

japan and romania seem to be the strongest and they will face each other on sunday in the last game of the tournament which could probably be a true final unless japan struggles tomorrow against netherlands or romania against china.

it's just division three though. it's the lowest level of junior hockey. the tournament will be played in mexico city next week. six teams will participate: bulgaria, iceland, new zealand, south africa, turkey and of course mexiko.

Iceland belongs in Div 1... they hammered that US team with Joshua Jackson on it like 12-1 in the junior goodwill games a few years ago!

;)

Iceland belongs in Div 1... they hammered that US team with Joshua Jackson on it like 12-1 in the junior goodwill games a few years ago!

;)

hehehe. at least iceland has some natural ice compared to their opponents. i wonder who's the favorite out of these six.

Does anybody have an idea what attendance for this tournament is? Will they break 1000 people for the Gold Medal game?

hehehe. at least iceland has some natural ice compared to their opponents. i wonder who's the favorite out of these six.
My guesses would be Iceland (strangely enough) and Mexico (maybe Turkey).

Does anybody have an idea what attendance for this tournament is? Will they break 1000 people for the Gold Medal game?

there's no real gold medal game. just a round robin and the first team goes up. but according to the off-site, both romanian games had the attendance of 1000. so the answer to your question is yes. :)

back to Lithuania...

Their results in the U20s show a bad trend...after peaking with their highest ever ranking of 21st in 2001, here are the subsequent results.


2001 - 21st place
2002 - 26th place
2003 - 29th place
2004 - 31st place
2005 - 34th place with relegation to Div III

I wonder why Japan is dominating?

Korea dominated their pool too.

With China's increasingly money'd people the NHL should try and promote hockey there, with 1 Billion people there is quite abit of potential to produce players. Not all Asian people are small these days, when I was in Japan all the young people were just as tall as they are in North America.

Japan is dominating because of all the Canadians teaching ESL in Japan.... ;)

With China's increasingly money'd people the NHL should try and promote hockey there, with 1 Billion people there is quite abit of potential to produce players.

The interest in hockey is limited to a few towns in Northern China, which are close to the Russian border. If you take a look at this year's Chinese U20 team's roster, you will notice the only club teams represented are Qiqihar and Jiamusi Qianli.

The Chinese women's teams seem relatively competitive, for what it's worth.

The interest in hockey is limited to a few towns in Northern China, which are close to the Russian border. If you take a look at this year's Chinese U20 team's roster, you will notice the only club teams represented are Qiqihar and Jiamusi Qianli.They had to build a rink in Harbin(?) to host the asian games which is about the only place they really play, but the NHL might do well to promote there. 1.2 Billion people someone has to have the skills.

here are the complete results of the first day:

lithuania - netherlands 2-7
china - japan 0-5
serbia/montenegro - romania 3-6

akim ramoul of netherlands is the only player in this tournament who is playing in the US. unfortunately i do no know where. he had 2 goals and 1 assist today.

the netherlands have three players with 6'5...impressing. china has one with 6'4 at least and japan's biggest player is 6'2 while all the others are true midgets. :)

He playes for the Texarana Bandits (USHL). Used to play for the Cologne YoungSharks in de German junior league DNL and was amongst top scorers of the team.

http://www.eurohockey.net/players/frameset.cgi?page=show_player.cgi?serial=49028

Regards,

Joeri Loonen
Admin: http://www.eurohockey.net

i think japan will win

I didn't even know Serbia and Netherlands had hockey teams.

If that is not enough, it is amazing to consider the teams that play in the divisions below this. I was looking at the IIHF site once, and saw that Mexico, Israel and many other unexpected places compete.

Japan is dominating because they're the richest country of these...