Former head coach of the Russian national hockey team Vladimir Pluschev told that, thanks to their character, the youth team could compete for the highest places at the ongoing World Junior Championship.
The Council of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has suspended the national teams of Russia and Belarus from participation in competitions under its auspices in February 2022. The World Youth Championships will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden.
— I haven’t seen all the MFM matches, but I watched the leaders. The level this year is quite serious, there are good guys on all the teams. The championship was very tense, even without us.
— How would our young people view this level?
— It’s hard to say, the guys haven’t played for two years now. According to our estimates, everyone says we don’t have an outstanding central striker. We fall on the edges which are at our level. Our team would have competed for medals based on their character, but it is difficult to judge further. The Slovaks were good in this MFM, the Finns, the Czechs and the Swedes. Not to mention the Canadians. But, I repeat, our people have character and thanks to them we will fight with everyone,” Pliushchev told .
The 2024 World Cup final will take place on January 5 and the national teams of Sweden and the United States will play there.
Source : MatchTV
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