President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (FHR) Vladislav Tretyak told that the team’s level of play at the World Championships, which were held in Latvia and Finland, did not live up to expectations.
For the record 28th time, the Canadians won gold at the World Championships, beating Germany in the final. For the first time in their history, the bronze medals were won by the Latvians who beat the American team.
– What impression did the World Championship, which recently ended in Finland and Latvia, leave on you?
– You know, you still have to congratulate everyone. Once again, Team Canada became champions. Canadians are Canadians, regardless of their composition. They may lose in the group at first, but then they prove that they are the strongest here and now.
I liked the American team. In principle, there are only a dozen NHL players, the rest come from universities and the AHL. Lots of young guys. By the way, the American team did not lose a single game in regular time …
– Yes, the Americans lost in overtime in the semi-finals with the Germans and in the bronze medal match with the Latvians (both times the score was 3:4).
– That’s how it is, and in the end they ended up without a medal. However, they played well. And Germany won silver, Latvia won bronze. The Finns and Swedes disappointed, the best players did not come to the Czechs. And those who came did not show the hockey that was expected of them.
And in general, I think the level of hockey at this world championship should have been higher. This is not the level initially expected for the 2023 World Cup,” Tretyak told .
The national teams of Russia and Belarus have not participated in tournaments under the auspices of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) since the spring of 2022. In March, it became known about the extension of the suspension of the teams for the 2023/24 season.
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
