In Latvia, 99.99% of people believe that the real time to count chickens in hockey is the world championship. In Canada and the USA, the most important “chicken” is the Stanley Cup, where our boys – Sandis Ozoliņš and Teodors Bļuger have also had this to say. In America, there are also some less tasty “chickens” – like the World Junior Championship or the Memorial Cup, where we even had an MVP – Edgars Kulda! But it turns out that here in Europe, and Kazakhstan is already considered Europe in hockey, we have something to look back on this spring.
I had tried to beat time a while ago. We wanted to see our champions in the two best European leagues – Switzerland (NLA) and Sweden (SHL) at home much earlier, but Rudolf Balcers and Ronald Kēniņš played until the seventh game in Switzerland in the race for gold… The positive thing is that we will have the Swiss champion. Either “Lions” of Zurich and Balcers, or Lausanne and Kēniņš. If Rūdis is congratulated, it will be his first Swiss gold, if Ronis – then his fourth… Irony of fate: Kēniņš won the previous three titles with Zurich.
Wrestling in Sweden is no less dramatic. There was no doubt that last season’s vice-champions Shelefteo AIK and Mārtiņš Dzierkals could go far, but Rodrigo Ābola’s club this season – Engelholms “Rogle” had various problems and performances, entering the playoffs from the ninth position and through the extra net. But in the play off, Ābols and Co. defeated the first three dragons with the least number of games – 2-0 in the extra round against “Timra”, 4-0 in the quarter-finals against the winner of the regular championship “Farjestad” and 4-0 also against last year’s champion and the second strongest team in the main tournament, Vēkshes “Laker”. One way or another, we will have the Swedish champion! After the fifth, sixth or seventh game, it doesn’t matter! Well, the head coach of the Latvian national team, Harijs Vītoliņš, would not want both of our Swedes to play until the seventh game, when he organizes the last test match for the Latvian national team before the world championship in the Czech Republic on May 4 in Arena Rīga. Yes, in the spring, fans also have a split personality – they want all the best in the national team, but they also want the Stanley Cup or other less important trophies. None other than last year’s world championship MVP Artūrs Šilov made his debut with a victory.
What else was important to us in Europe? I guess we had already hoped that Kristers Gudlevsky would become the German champion in Bremerhaven. The best goalkeeper of the regular season though. In the final, however, the Berlin “polar bears” had to concede 1-4, but this silver is the first for Bremerhachen in the German championships. Scoundrel, Christer! And his supervisor Edgars Lūsiņš.
Kristaps Sotnieks and Rolands Vigners have reborn in Riga with the title of French champion. Rouen “Dragons” defeated the Bordeaux club in the final series, where Nikita Jevpalov and Rudolf Poltz tasted not only the famous French wine. Maris Bičevskis with “Olimpija” Ljubljana is the champion of Slovenia, but already closer to Ostrava – Kristaps Jákobsons has become the champion of Poland in the “Unia” unit of Auschwitz. At the other end of European hockey in Kazakhstan, the champion is once again Edgars Siksna. Already for the third time, the first time, but again in honor of the captain, with “Arlan” from Kokšetava.
Esbjergs “Energy” defender Artūrs Salija earned silver in Denmark, four vice-champions just across the border in Estonia – Didzis Jansons, Mārtiņš Jakovlēvs, Miks Lipsberg and Kaspars Saulietis with Tartu “Valk”.
Latvian national team captain Kaspars Daugavins and Kristofers Bindulis won bronze in Slovakia with Mihalovce’s “Dukla”.
At the World U-18 Youth Championship in Espoo, our youth coached by Oleg Sorokin took a big step towards the quarter-finals. 5:3 against Slovakia is a great success in hockey, 1:3 with Finland and 1:7 with USA – only the results in the table.
I really didn’t understand what was 1:5 in Lausanne and 0:4 in Kloten in the performance of the national team. Let’s say just a test of strength before counting chickens in Ostrava. On Friday and Saturday, the last test matches in front of their own audience – with the Norwegians. Then the “chicken” should be almost ready.
Jānis MATULIS
