Ice Hockey 2017 - 2018 Discussion Thread

[hckošice 16,613]

The Schedule of Team Slovakia for the season 2017/18 has been announced today. Still waiting for the final confirmation of the Olympic schedule.

 

August 23rd 2017 Friendly Match against Czech Rep. in Třinec (CZE)

both teams will meet together also the next day August 24th in another friendly match this time in Slovakia in žilina

 

In November (10th-12th) We will play as usual in the Deutschland Cup in Augsburg (GER) in a round-robin tournament against Germany, USA and "B" team of Russia.

 

In the middle of December we will play another tournament in Norway (Hamar) against Norway, France and once again "B" team of Russia.

 

Then came February 2018 and the highlight of the season the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang (KOR) The schedule is not exactly finished but it´s already known that we will play in Group B against Russia, USA and Slovenia, thanks to the format of the tournament every team is assured to play at least one more game in the Play-offs.

 

In April 2018 is scheduled as usual the beloved pre-world championships test preparation matches, This time again our preparation will be composed of 8 matches during 4 weeks.

We´ll start with 2 matches in Sweden

the next week we will host Latvia for another 2 matches.

the next week we will travel to Germany for another 2 friendly games against the host,

and we will end the preparation with last 2 matches the next week at home against France.

 

Then the season will be traditionally closed at the World Championships this time for the first time ever in Denmark (We will play The Preliminary round in Copenhaguen´s Group A against Russia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belarus, France and the newly promoted Austria) The top 4 teams will continue the journey in the tournament in the play-offs, Last team will be relegated, thankfully this time we will not be scared by this like this year anymore thanks our 2019 Host rights Immunity.

 

[Gianlu33 6,008]

6 hours ago, hckosice said:

Then the season will be traditionally closed at the World Championships this time for the first time ever in Denmark (We will play The Preliminary round in Copenhaguen´s Group A against Russia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belarus, France and the newly promoted Austria) The top 4 teams will continue the journey in the tournament in the play-offs, Last team will be relegated, thankfully this time we will not be scared by this like this year anymore thanks our 2019 Host rights Immunity.

 

Really you think that Slovakia can be relegated?  

[hckošice 16,613]

3 minutes ago, Gianlu33 said:

Really you think that Slovakia can be relegated?  

 

Well, this year it was only about 1 single goal in the Overtime But hopefully we will not suffer such disastrous tournament for a long time now...since, it looks our huge problems are slowly going to be solved..

 

And we are the hosts in 2019 so we can not be relegated next year, bad news for Austria I guess

[Finnator123 342]

KHL season 2017-18 starts in just over 22 days! Can't wait! 

[hckošice 16,613]

On 7/25/2017 at 20:23, hckosice said:

Former Vancouver Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins named coach of men´s Canada team for the WOG 2018. Sean Burke will be the GM and Martin Brodeur will be also part of the staff.

 

Also USA Hockey officially presented their coaching staff for PyeongChang 2018. One of our preliminary group opponents will be coached by the former Colorado Avalanch head coach and currently University of Wisconsin coach Tony Granato.

 

Granato will be joined on the bench by assistant coaches Chris Chelios, Scott Young, Keith Allain and Ron Rolston.

Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey, will serve as the general manager of the Olympic team, while Ben Smith is the team’s director of player personnel.

[hckošice 16,613]

Italian national team head coach Stephan Mair resigned despite two more years on his contract stating discrepancies with the Italian Ice Sports Federation.

The news came a few days after Mair had been behind the bench of the Italian national team in three exhibition games against the KHL clubs Avangard Omsk and Vityaz Podolsk that all ended with losses for the “Squadra Azzurra”.

Mair became Italy’s head coach three years ago after relegation from the top division and initiated a rejuvenation process focusing on Italian-trained players. In his second year Italy earned promotion and competed in the top division of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship where Italy lost all seven games in Cologne including a 3-2 opening-day overtime defeat against Slovakia after a 2-1 third-period lead that eventually decided about relegation.

The Italian Ice Sports Federation announced that the program will be continued with the taken direction and the process of finding a new head coach will be launched.

[hckošice 16,613]

The IIHF has released the schedule of the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Denmark. New ticket packages will go on sale 1st September at 10:00.

 

Host Denmark will compete in Group B at the 11,000-seat Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning and plays on the first night on 4th May at 20:15 in a neighbouring clash with Germany. A North American battle between Team USA and Canada awaits fans in Herning earlier that day at 16:15.

 

Group A at the 12,500-seat Royal Arena in the capital of Copenhagen will open with Russia vs. France at 16:15 before defending champions Sweden take on Belarus at 20:15. Tre Kronor will play in Copenhagen virtually with a home-ice advantage. The third-largest Swedish city of Malmo is located just across the Oresund strait, only a 26-minute train ride away from the Royal Arena.

 

The remainder of the 16 teams will start on the second day. Norway-Latvia, Finland-Korea and Denmark-USA will be the pairings on 5th May in Herning. The second day in Copenhagen will start with Switzerland-Austria and France-Belarus and end with the evening game between the Czech Republic and Slovakia

 

 

The Preliminary Round concludes on 15th May. After a day off, the quarter-finals will be played cross-over on 17th May with two games in Copenhagen (A1-B4, A2-B3) and two in Herning (B1-A4, B2-A3). If qualified, Denmark will play its quarter-final game at 20:15.

The two semi-finals on 19th May as well as the medal games on 20th May will all be played at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen.

Day packages to the preliminary round and Follow Your Team packages will go on sale on 1st September 10:00 on 2018.iihfworlds.com.

 

Spoiler

Team Slovakia Preliminary Round Schedule

• Saturday May 5th: Czech Republic vs Slovakia (20.15 cest)
• Sunday May 6th: Slovakia vs Switzerland (20.15)
• Tuesday May 8th: Austria vs Slovakia (16.15)
• Thursday May 10th: Slovakia vs France (16.15)
• Saturday May 12th: Slovakia vs Sweden (12.15)
• Monday May 14th: Russia vs Slovakia (16.15)
• Tuesday May 15th: Belarus vs Slovakia (16.15)

 

[intoronto 6,892]

Why did they schedule Denmark in the smaller venue?

[phelps 8,695]

6 minutes ago, intoronto said:

Why did they schedule Denmark in the smaller venue?

 

I think because Herning is Denmark's Hockeytown (and they have great sport tradition in general), meanwhile in Copenhagen there's not a great tradition in this sport (but still it's the Nation's Capital and IIHF wanted in any case some matches -finals included- to be staged there)...

[hckošice 16,613]

And it´s official the 66 years old Canadian Craig Ramsey is the new National Coach of Slovakia ! He signed a deal for 2 years until 2019 and the World Championships in Slovakia.

 

He is the second Canadian coaching Slovakia in history after Glen Hanlon (2010-2011)