Ice Hockey 2016 - 2017 Discussion Thread

[intoronto 6,892]

4 time Olympic Champion and probably one of the greatest female hockey players of all time Hayley Wickenheiser  announced her retirement

Edited January 14, 2017 by intoronto

[hckošice 16,613]

Continental Cup 2016/17 Super Final in Ritten (ITA) Day 2,

 

Nottingham Panthers won against Beibarys Atyrau   3-2 after GWS and Ritten Sports lost to Odense Bulldogs   1-4.

 

Before tomorrows last day Nottingham is still on top of the group with 5 points and very close to the title, 2nd Odense has 3 pts, 3rd Ritten 2pts and 4th Beibarys with 1 single point has already no chance to win the trophy.

 

Tomorrows last day schedule:

GMT +1

15:00 Odense vs Beibarys and 19:00 Ritten vs Nottingham

 

 

[hckošice 16,613]

Nottongham Panthers won the Continental Cup 2016/17  as the first British club in history.

 

Today was the last day of the Continetal Cup Super Final in Ritten (Italy), Odense Bulldogs lost to Beibarys Atyrau 2-3 after GWS and Nottingham Panthers won against the host Ritten Sports 4-1

 

Nottingham won the superfinal with 8 points, 2nd finished Odense with 4 points, Beibarys was 3rd with 3 points and Ritten fouth with 2 points.

[hckošice 16,613]

IIHF CONTINENTAL CUP 2016/17

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Nottingham writes history

First British team to win Continental Cup

 

 

The Nottingham Panthers also won their third game of the final tournament, 4-1 vs. Ritten, and became the first British team to win the IIHF Continental Cup.

 

The British were more efficient and physically stronger than their opponents and decided the game with three power-play goals.

 

Already after four minutes of play the Nottingham Panthers opened the scoring. With Ritten’s Ivan Tauferer in the penalty box after shooting the puck out of the ice, Matt Carter succeeded from the left side to give the Panthers an ideal start into the game.

 

Ritten tried to come back but didn’t capitalize on its chances and like yesterday made life difficult with penalties. That gave the Panthers the opportunity to play with a man advantage for almost four minutes at the end of the first and the beginning of the second period. 24 seconds after the start of the middle frame Chris Lawrence scored to make it a 2-0 lead for the British team.

 

Nottingham continued to have more chances. During a next power play Erik Lindhagen almost scored the third goal when Ritten goaltender Patrick Killeen seemed almost beaten after a horizontal pass but a miraculous save kept Ritten in the game. And a minute later the home team scored its first goal when Markus Spinell capitalized on a rebound after a shot from Alex Frei.

 

The Italians got their huge chance to tie the game when Andy Sertich was sent to the sin bin for interference and Jeff Dimmen had to follow him just four seconds later after a delaying-the-game call for shooting the puck out of the playing field. But despite the lengthy two-man advantage Ritten was still a goal behind and at 14:16 during a power play British national team forward Robert Farmer scored the 3-1 goal for the Panthers.

 

Ritten tried its best and had more scoring chances during the rest of the game but Nottingham goalie Miika Wiikman had a strong night. With 37.7 seconds left Farmer scored the 4-1 goal into the empty net to make things clear.

 

The Nottingham Panthers had qualified for the Continental Cup Final as the first British team in seven years and winning the competition is the biggest international success for the team and will give it a chance to play in the Champions Hockey League next season subject to formal approval by the CHL board.

 

 

Result Thread

 

 

[hckošice 16,613]

Frolunda, Sparta reach CHL Final

 

Frolunda Indians (SWE) and Sparta Prague (CZE) will play the 2016/17 Hockey Champions League. The Match will be played in Goteborg the home place of the Frolunda Indians due to their better record during the competition on Tuesday, 7th February.

 

 

 

In the yesterdays semifinals second legs, Frolunda won in Fribourg (SUI) 0-4 (1-9 in aggregate) and Sparta defeated at home Osters Växjo (SWE) 4-0 (6-1 in aggregate).

 

Gothenburg makes third straight Finals appearance

 

The Champions Hockey League Final will be played on Tuesday, 7 February 2017 in Gothenburg between defending Champions Frolunda and first-time finalists Sparta Prague.

Czech powerhouse Sparta Prague is the first Non-Nordic team in the Champions Hockey League Final. The eight times Czech champions follow Luleå Hockey (SWE, 2015), Kärpät Oulu (FIN, 2016) and Frölunda Gothenburg – who actually made it to the CHL Final for the third time in a row and will now host the final game for the first time.

Sparta defeated the Växjö Lakers (SWE) 6:1 on aggregate in the Semi-Finals, while Frölunda marched through against Fribourg-Gotteron (SUI) with 9:1 on aggregate.

The CHL Final will take place on Tuesday, 7 February 2017, in Gothenburg. Frölunda earned the right to play at home due to achieving the best accumulated record (Group Stage + Playoffs).

Frolunda Gothenburg 4 – Fribourg-Gotteron 0 (9-1 aggr.)

Frolunda Gothenburg came into Fribourg and cruised to a 3-0 shutout victory, propelling the Swedish club back into the CHL Finals.

The Indians already had a comfortable 6-1 lead on aggregate ahead of the second leg rematch against the Swiss club, who failed to make a dent in the lead and wasn’t able to get any pucks past Johan Gustafsson, who put up his second shutout of the CHL playoffs.

Sean Bergenheim opened the scoring with a goal midway through the first period, and added an assist in the second for a two-point night. Henrik Tommernes, Robin Figren, and Carl Grundstrom rounded out the scoresheet for Frolunda.

In the short history of the Champions Hockey League, Frolunda has been a mainstay, having now reached the Finals in all three seasons. 

Sparta Prague 4 – Vaxjo Lakers 0 (6-1 aggr.)

A big road win in ther first leg gave Sparta some breathing room playing at home against Vaxjo, and the Czech club took care of business at the O2 Arena in Prague putting up a 4-0 victory and a trip to the CHL Final.

Captain Jaroslav Hlinka and Lukas Klimek led the offence with a goal and two assists each, while Tomas Popperle made 25 saves for the shutout and earned Best Player honours.

Sparta put together a 2-0 lead going into the third period, then took advantage of some desperate play by the Lakers to put the game away with back to back goals from Hlinka and Petr Vrana to seal Sparta’s trip to the CHL Final.

The victory means that Sparta Prague becomes the first Czech club to reach the CHL Finals. The team will be looking to add one final chapter to what has been a historical run with a victory against Frolunda on 7 February. 

with files from Champions Hockey League

 

 

 

 

 

[hckošice 16,613]

This is SPARTA !

 

http://www.championshockeyleague.net/video/this-is-sparta-a-fan-documentary/3824

[hckošice 16,613]

1000 points scored in NHL - Henrik Sedin became the 85th player in all NHL history to reach this legendary mark

 

Vancouver’s 1,000-point man

Henrik Sedin fourth NHL Swede to hit magic mark

 

With a second-period goal in a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers, Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks earned his 1,000th NHL point in front of an ecstatic Rogers Arena crowd on 20 January.

The milestone play was highlight-reel material. Henrik took a pass from his twin brother Daniel on a 2-on-1 rush and backhanded the puck through the legs of Roberto Luongo, his former Canuck teammate and Canada’s 2010 Olympic gold medal goalie, to open the scoring. The Canucks’ bench emptied to congratulate their captain, and then Henrik skated around, clapping for the fans.

“I think the best part by far was my teammates coming out on the ice and celebrating with me,” said Henrik. “That’s something I will remember forever.”

“It’s a lot of points,” added Daniel. “He’s played a long time with good teammates. So I think he’s very proud.”

Henrik Sedin becomes the first Canuck, fourth Swede, and 85th NHL player in history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. All three of his Swedish predecessors are legends, and all played with Sedin on the 2006 Olympic gold medal team in Turin Italy: Mats Sundin (1,349), Daniel Alfredsson (1,157), and Nicklas Lidstrom (1,142).

The 36-year-old Ornskoldsvik native has played his entire 16-year NHL career with Vancouver and became the captain in 2010. The 2010 Hart Trophy winner as league MVP is also Vancouver’s all-time leader in assists (767) and games (1,213).

His accomplishments are invariably linked to those of Daniel. Famed for their cycling tactics, they have an uncanny ability to find each other on the ice.

The former co-MVP’s of the Swedish elite league with MODO Ornskoldsvik were selected second (Daniel) and third (Henrik) overall by Vancouver in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Henrik won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL scoring leader with 112 points, while Daniel followed suit in 2011 with 104. Triumph and heartbreak merged in 2011 when Henrik led the Canucks in playoff scoring with 22 points as they lost Game Seven of the Stanley Cup final at home to the Boston Bruins.

The twins have racked up points with a rotating cast of linemates over the years, including IIHF veterans like Trent Klatt, Anson Carter, and Jannik Hansen. In the Sedins’ heyday, the best fit on right wing was arguably Alexandre Burrows, who peaked with 35 goals and 32 assists in 2009-10.

“It’s well-deserved for him,” Burrows said of Henrik’s milestone. “He’s been playing well for so long and he’s been such a big part of this team for a long time. He’s been such a leader, not only on the ice but also in the community and the city.”

“It’s been a very long ride, but a fun ride,” said Henrik. “Our old linemates have all given us something and made us better. Sometimes it might not be easy to play with us, but they’ve all done a great job. Trent Klatt, when we started out, to have him as a guy we could talk to and look up to, that was a good start for us.”

In IIHF play, Henrik’s resume is even more impressive.

Sedin led the 2000 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden in scoring with 13 points. He won bronze at the 1999 and 2001 IIHF World Championships before the 2006 Olympic gold, his biggest career victory. Yet the graceful, heady playmaker would play an even bigger role at the 2013 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm.

The Swedes, coached by Par Marts, broke the infamous “home ice curse” dating back to the Soviet triumph in Moscow 1986. After being air-lifted in from the NHL playoffs, Sedin delivered a whopping nine points in four games. He was named to the tournament all-star team as Tre Kronor celebrated their title in golden helmets at the Globen Arena.

Too often in this sport, the phrase, “He’s an even better person than player,” is bandied about. In Henrik Sedin’s case, it rings true. Throughout the ups and downs of his career, this surefire future IIHF Hall of Famer has consistently been respectful, friendly and available to both fans and media. In 2010, he and Daniel donated $1.5 million to help build a new BC Children’s Hospital.

Daniel, who has 968 career points, could also crack the 1,000-point plateau with an exceptionally strong finish to the season. And other NHL and IIHF legends have been chasing the mark as well this year. Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin hit 1,000 points on 11 January in a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins with his goal 35 seconds in. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, with 989 points, should also get there soon.

 

The moment of writing history (and the reaction of Luongo , Respect !!!)

[hckošice 16,613]

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

2016/2017

 

  ITALY

Ritten Sport HC

3rd Title

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Ritten defends title

Third Italian championship in four years

 

The Ritten players celebrate with the "scudetto" for the Italian champion.

 

Ritten Sport defended the Italian championship and beat Asiago, the last team to defend the title in 2011, in the final. It’s the third championship in four years for the South Tyrolean team.

This season most of the teams from last year’s Serie A play in the new Alps Hockey League with teams from Austria and Slovenia that don’t compete in the Austrian top league EBEL. There Ritten Sport leads the league ahead of regional rival Pustertal Bruneck and Slovenian team Acroni Jesenice.

The best four Italian teams from the league now played the Italian championship during a weekend in Asiago to determine the winner of the Serie A trophy, the “scudetto”, and the right to play in the Continental Cup next season.

Ritten with a 5-2 win against SG Cortina and Asiago Hockey with a 3-1 victory against Pustertal Bruneck won the semi-finals on Saturday to set up the final on Sunday.

In front of 1,800 spectators host Asiago had the better start. Canadian centre Krys Kolanos scored after just six seconds of play and at 6:05 Davide Conci gave Asiago a 2-0 lead. But Ritten, which outshot Asiago 28-24, came back with goals from two Italian national team players.

Alex Frei cut Asiago’s lead at 12:05 and at 12:55 of the second period Tommaso Traversa tied it up for Ritten’s “Buam” (“boys” in the local German dialect). Less than six minutes later Frei scored his second goal to give Ritten the lead.

The 3-2 score stayed until the end of the game and the Ritten players earned the trophy for the 83th Italian championship.

Ritten recently hosted the 2017 IIHF Continental Cup Final where it started with a 3-2 shootout win against Kazakh champion Beibarys Atyrau but after two losses ended up in last place.

 

[hckošice 16,613]

Frolunda Gothenburg (SWE) won the Champions League. Beating Sparta Prague (CZE)  4-3 in overtime.

 

 

 

It was a interesting final, but must say that the referreeing was clearly the weakest part of the match, Fans of Sparta might feel robbed, there even already some funny pics to find on the web 

 

[hckošice 16,613]

By this final, start the 3rd international break, several tournaments will be contested this weekend.

 

The prestigious Euro Hockey Tour will continue with the 3rd stage after the Karjala Cup in Finland, the Channel One Cup in Russia place now for the traditional "Sweden Hockey Games" the european big 4 ( )  will move to Gozhenburg for this tournament.

 

a little recap of the current cumulative standing after first 2 stages Russia clearly leading the competition with 15 points, Czech Rep. is second with 9 and Finland and Sweden follows both with 6 points. The Sweden Hockey Games round-robin tournament start this thursday with Russia vs Finland and Czech Republic vs Sweden.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This weekend continue also the so-called "2nd groups europeans teams tournaments" after the Deutschland Cup and the Swiss hockey challenge, place this time for the traditional Slovakia Cup This years tournament will be held in Nitra and will present a simple knock-out tournament. Semifinals - bronze medal match and gold medal match. between Slovakia, Switzerland, Belarus and the "B" team of Russia.

 

Friday are scheduled the semifinals. vs   and vs "B". The winners will face in final on Saturday and the losers in the bronze medal bout on saturday as well.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This time we will have also 3 different Challengers, in South Korea, Poland and Austria.

 

In South Korea in Goyang 4 teams will play a round-robin tournament.  it will start thursday with matches Hungary vs Japan and South Korea vs Denmark.  

 

In Katowice, Poland another 4 teams will also battle in a round-robin tournament. starting thursday with matches Italy vs Ukraine and Poland vs Slovenia.

 

And finally in Austria, in Graz there another round-robin tournament with Austria, France, Norway and Slovakia "B" team (in fact we will send there a team composed mainly of under 23 years old players). The tournament will also start on Thursday with games vs and vs "B".

 

Originally was also scheduled one more challenger this weekend in Netherlands, but there no news or mention anywhere, so that probably means that the tournament was unfortunately cancelled..

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

For the womens, the most important part of this break is ofc the 2 final olympic qualifiers tournaments in Arosa SUI and Tomakomai JPN offering last 2 available tickets for the PyeongChang 2018 womens ice hockey tournament.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Friendly Matches:

7th February 2017

 

Mens

 

Czech Republic U19 - Finland U19  5-4 after OT

Switzerland U19 - Sweden U19  0-6