World Hockey News

2014 Sochi Olympics Ice Hockey Groups & World Rankings

The new ranking includes the results of the 2009-2012 World Championships and the 2010 Olympics, with higher value put on the most recent tournaments.

Russia defended its 2011 top position because it advanced to the gold medal game while sending its closest follower, Finland, to the bronze medal game. The Czech Republic improved from fifth to third place by making the semi-finals at the expense of Sweden (4th) and Canada (5th), which both lost one place.

Slovakia’s gold medal game appearance is behind their impressive move from 10th to 6th place. Thanks to the top-9 position, the Slovaks earn a bye to the 2014 Olympics as do the United States (7th), Norway (8th) and Switzerland (9th).

The other teams will have to battle for the three remaining slots of the men’s ice hockey tournament in Sochi 2014 through qualification tournaments. Germany (10th), Latvia (11th) and Denmark (12th) earned the right to host one of the Final Olympic Qualification events in February 2013.

At the Sochi Olympics, host nation Russia will face Slovakia, the United States and the third-best ranked qualifier in its preliminary-round group.

Also the groups for the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Stockholm and Helsinki next year have been determined according to the World Ranking.

2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship

Group STO	Group HEL
Russia (1)	Finland (2)
Sweden (4)	Czech Rep. (3)
Canada (5)	Slovakia (6)
Norway (8)	USA (7)
Switzerland (9)	Germany (10)
Denmark (12)	Latvia (11)
Belarus (13)	France (14)
Slovenia (18)	Austria (15)

2014 Olympic Winter Games

Group A	Group B	Group C
Russia (1)	Finland (2)	Czech Rep. (3)
Slovakia (6)	Canada (5)	Sweden (4)
USA (7)	Norway (8)	Switzerland (9)
Qualifier 3	Qualifier 2	Qualifier 1

More information on the men’s and women’s ice hockey tournaments at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games and the qualification tournaments.

2014 Olympic Winter Games

OLYMPICS, MEN:

Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament in Sochi 2014

Participants: Nations ranked 1-9 according to the 2012 IIHF Men’s World Ranking plus three qualifiers.

Seeding:
Group A: Russia (1), Slovakia (6), USA (7), Qualifier 3
Group B: Finland (2), Canada (5), Norway (8), Qualifier 2
Group C: Czech Republic (3), Sweden (4), Switzerland (9), Qualifier 1

The eight teams with the best records (the best two teams of each group and the two teams ranked third with the best record) advance to the quarter-finals.

Final Olympic Qualification (3 tournaments, 7-10 February 2013)

Nations ranked 10-18 plus the three winners from the Olympic Pre-Qualification.

Group D in Germany: Germany (10), Austria (15), Italy (16), Qualifier 3
Group E in Riga, Latvia: Latvia (11), France (14), Kazakhstan (17), Qualifier 2
Group F in Denmark: Denmark (12), Belarus (13), Slovenia (18), Qualifier 1

Olympic Pre-Qualification (3 tournaments, 8-11 November 2012)

Nations ranked 19-27 plus qualifiers from any preliminary qualification if required.

Group G in Budapest, Hungary: Hungary (19), Netherlands (24), Lithuania (25), Qualifier
Group H in Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukraine (20), Poland (23), Estonia (26), Spain (29)
Group J in TBA: Great Britain (21), Japan (22), Romania (27), Korea (28)

Olympic Preliminary Qualification (1 tournament, Sep./Oct. 2012)

Group K in Croatia: Croatia (30), Serbia (31), Mexico (32), Israel (33)

OLYMPICS, WOMEN:

Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament in Sochi 2014

Participants: Nations ranked 1-6 according to the 2012 IIHF Women’s World Ranking plus two qualifiers.

Seeding:
Group A: Canada (1), USA (2), Finland (3), Switzerland (4)
Group B: Sweden (5), Russia (6) + two qualifiers

Note: This is the only major change compared to 2010 as the preliminary round will take place in two tiers, as Group A will consist of teams ranked 1-4 while Group B will be comprised of teams ranked 5-8. Quarter-finals: 3A-2B & 4A-1B, semi-finals: 1A vs. winner 4A/1B, 2A vs. winner 3A/2B.

Final Olympic Qualification (2 tournaments, 7-10 February 2013)

Nations ranked 7-12 plus the two winners from the Olympic Pre-Qualification.

Group C in Bratislava, Slovakia: Slovakia (7), Norway (10), Japan (11), Qualifier 2
Group D in Germany: Germany (8), Kazakhstan (9), Czech Republic (12), Qualifier 1

Olympic Pre-Qualification (2 tournaments, 8-11 November 2012)

Nations ranked 13-18 plus qualifiers from any preliminary qualification if required.

Group E in Shanghai, China: China (13), France (16), Great Britain (17), Qualifier 2
Group F in Latvia: Latvia (14), Austria (15), Italy (18), Qualifier 1

Olympic Preliminary Qualification (2 tournaments, Sep./Oct. 2012)

Group G: Denmark (19), Croatia (22), Hungary (23), Spain (26)
Group H: Slovenia (20), Netherlands (21), Korea (24), Poland (25)

INFORMATION FROM http://www.iihf.com

Table Hockey - 2012 World Club Championship in Saint-Petersburg

BJC Laimite based in Riga, Latvia are the 2012 Table Hockey World Club Champions

The Table Hockey World Club Championship for 2012 was held at the beautiful Zimnly Stadion (Winter Stadium) in Saint Petersburg, Russia. A total of 17 teams from Russia, Latvia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland and Baltia competed for the Championship.

BJC Laimite team members are Carl Bindekrans (Sweden), Yanis Galuzo (Russia), Atis Silis (Latvia), Artus Verchins (Latvia) who all played in the finals, and Andris Liepins (Lativia), Edgars Caics (Latvia). BJC Laimite won the Quarterfinal 10 games to 6 vs THC Lisovi Haschi. Won the Semi-final 8 games to 4 vs THC Stiga Elites. In the Championship Final they played the powerhouse team of Galaxy, which is the home team based in Saint Petersburg. The finals were very close with BJC Laimite winning 7 games to 6 vs Galaxy and taking the Championship Trophy back to Riga, Latvia.

Galaxy team members are Ahti Lampi (Finland), Roni Nuttunen (Finland), Santtu Sainio (Finland), Oleg Dmitrichenko (Russia), Igor Masioboev (Russia), Alexey Titov (Russia) and Alexey Chernov (Russia).

Bagira from Russia won the Bronze Medal 11 games to 3 vs THC Stiga Elites.

Malaysia Field Hockey Wins Junior Asia Cup 2012 for 1st time

MALACCA: Malaysia won their maiden Junior Asia Cup when they defeated three-time champions Pakistan 2-1 in a tense and thrilling final at the Bukit Serendit Hockey Stadium yesterday.

The team, tagged as favourites for the tournament, lived up to their billing and two goals in the first half did the trick as they defended stoutly in the second half to keep Pakistan at bay.

Even before the start, the atmosphere at the stadium was electrifying as 7,500 fans packed the stands to the brim well before the 8.00pm start. Hundreds more were not able to get in.

The Malaysians played liked men possessed in the first half but turned into a timid mouse in the second half. Still credit must be given for their tenacity to withstand the Pakistan onslaught.

Malaysia’s coach K. Dharmaraj said winning the title was the best thing to happen for Malaysian hockey and he hopes it is the start of better things to come for the sport in the country.

“I am very proud of my players as they fought hard for the title. This is a grand occasion for Malaysian hockey and we dedicate it to the fans who have stood by the team through thick and thin.

“There were some tense moments but we managed to keep our cool in the end,” said Dharmaraj.

Malaysia, cheered on by the vociferous fans, started off with a bang and two minutes into the game scored the opening goal.

It came from a quick counter attack which resulted in a penalty corner. Faisal Saari, who was also on target in the semi-final against India, sent his drag flick past goalkeeper Mazhar Abbas into the net.

The goal spurred the players on and they kept attacking the Pakistan goal but were denied on several occasions by their opponents.

Pakistan nearly drew level in the 12th minute when Mohamed Irfan took a snap shot from the semi–circle but Malaysian custodian Mohamed Hazrul Faiz Ahmad Sobri pulled off a brilliant save.

Firhan Ashaari could have doubled the advantage in the 16th minute as he broke through the centre but his attempt was well read by Mazhar.

But there was no denying the goal-hungry Malaysians as Mohd Syamim Mohd Yusof made it 2-0 in the 18th minute to leave Pakistan shell-shocked.

Malaysia was guilty of overdoing things after the second goal and this allowed Pakistan’s trio of Irfan, Mohamed Suleman and Mohamed Dilber to string together several attacking moves.

But good defending by Kavin Kartik and skipper Mohd Noor Faeez Ibrahim kept them at bay.

A minute before half-time Pakistan was awarded their first penalty corner. But Muhammad Tousiq sent his attempt sailing over the bar.

The second half saw Pakistan launching wave after wave of attacks and they were rewarded for their efforts in the 42nd minute when Irfan slotted home from close range to reduce the deficit.

Now it was Malaysia’s turn to back-pedal as Pakistan came charging at them in their search for the equaliser.

Several times Malaysia were desperately clearing the ball away from the danger zone.

A free-for-all almost erupted in the heat of the game in the 67th minute. And in the ensuing melee Malaysia’s Mohamed Syamin and Pakistan’s Mohamed Khalid were yellow carded.

Still, it was Pakistan doing all the attacking but the determined Malaysians held on to win their first Junior Asia Cup.

Earlier, India took third place after extra time. The score at regulation time stood at 1-1. But the Indians prevailed through a golden goal scored by Akashdeep Singh in the 80th minute to beat South Korea 2-1.

Article 1st Published at http://www.malaysiahockey.com

Malaysia also grabbed the lion's share of honours as Kavin Kartik was named as Man of the Final while the top scorer's award was shared by Korea's Yang Jihun and Faizal Saari with six goals each. Malaysia's Hazrul Faiz was the Best Goalkeeper as well as Player of the Tournament.

Edmonton Oil Kings - 2012 WHL CHAMPIONS

OIL KINGS CLAIM ED CHYNOWETH CUP – The Edmonton Oil Kings captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions, defeating the Portland Winterhawks 4-1 in Game 7 of the 2012 WHL Championship series on Sunday at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

CLICK HERE for WHL Images
CLICK HERE for WHL Highlights

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Michael St. Croix and T.J. Foster each tallied a goal and an assist as the Oil Kings opened up a 4-0 lead through the first 30 minutes of the game in a solid performance to win the deciding game of what was a thrilling best-of-seven series between the two clubs.

Rhett Rachinski and Tyler Maxwell scored in the first period, with Rachinski’s goal opening the scoring just 1:51 into the contest. Maxwell put the Oil Kings up with just 18 seconds left in the opening period.

Oliver Gabriel finally got the Winterhawks on the board with his third goal in two games. But, it was not to be for the Hawks, who suffer defeat in their second straight WHL Championship series appearance.

Laurent Brossoit turned in a 19-save effort for the Oil Kings in the victory. The 19-year-old from Surrey B.C., posted a 2.82 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage over the seven-game series to earn the MVP of the WHL Championship series.

“I’m speechless…it’s just such a good feeling, and I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts,” Brossoit told SHAW’s Andy Neal. “(Getting the MVP) is the icing on the cake. We played such a great game, defensively, that I didn’t really have to do much tonight…we win as a team.”

Mac Carruth made 28 saves in a losing cause for the Winterhawks.

It’s the first WHL championship for the modern incarnation of the Oil Kings in their five-year existence, and the first championship for an Edmonton-based franchise since the original Oil Kings won back-to-back titles in 1971 and ’72. That Oil Kings franchise would eventually relocate to Portland to become the Winterhawks.

The Oil Kings will now head to Shawinigan, QC, to represent the WHL at the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup. The Oil Kings will join the host Shawinigan Cataractes, the OHL champion London Knights and the QMJHL champion and defending Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs at the tournament, which begins on Friday.

Edmonton wins best-of-seven series 4-3

Game Summary

Article 1st Published at http://whl.ca/

Penticton Vees - RBC Cup Champions - 2012 - Royal Bank Cup

The Penticton Vees are now Canadian Junior A Champions after winning The 2012 RBC Cup - Royal Bank Cup in Elgar Petersen Arena, Humboldt, Saskatchewan. The Penticton Vees also established a new Canadian Hockey League Record of 42 straight victories in the 60 game regular season. The Vees are also Fred Page Cup Champions 2012 and Doyle Cup Champions 2012.

Roster

#	Player	S/C	Ht.	Wt.	Birthdate	Hometown/Country	Team/Organization
Goaltenders
1	Michael Garteig	L	6'1	185	11/05/1991	Prince George, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
29	Nic Renyard	R	6'1	185	18/12/1994	Victoria, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
33	Chad Katunar	L	6'4	215	14/08/1993	Victoria, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
Defense
4	Nick Buchanan	L	6'3	205	09/05/1991	Victoria, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
5	Mike Reilly	L	6'0	165	13/07/1993	Chanhassen, MN	Penticton (BCHL)
6	Zach Urban	R	6'3	185	06/11/1993	Penticton, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
7	Kam Crawford	L	6'1	185	12/03/1991	Penticton, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
11	Chad Bannor	R	6'1	188	19/05/1992	Hermantown, MN	Penticton (BCHL)
27	D.J. Jones	R	5'9	170	29/08/1992	Plymouth, MN	Penticton (BCHL)
28	Kyle Beaulieu	L	6'3	200	16/01/1991	White Rock, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
77	Troy Stecher	R	5'11	175	07/04/1994	Richmond, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
Forwards
8	Ryan Reilly	L	5'8.5	165	01/10/1991	Chicago, IL	Penticton (BCHL)
9	Joey Benik	L	5'11	170	26/01/1992	Andover, MN	Penticton (BCHL)
10	Grant Nicholson	L	5'10	170	29/06/1992	Penticton, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
12	Wade Murphy	R	6'0	178	22/10/1993	Victoria, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
13	Jordan McCallum	L	6'4	190	09/10/1993	Summerland, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
15	Dexter Dancs	L	6'1	165	01/02/1995	Vancouver, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
18	Alex Jewell	L	5'10	165	06/05/1994	Coldstream, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
19	Cody DePourcq	R	5'6	150	10/03/1995	Penticton, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
20	Connor Reilly	L	6'0	170	01/10/1991	Chanhassen, MN	Penticton (BCHL)
21	Logan Johnston	L	6'1	208	28/06/1991	Penticton, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
22	Mario Lucia	L	6'3	195	25/08/1993	Chanhassen, MN	Penticton (BCHL)
24	Curtis Loik	R	6'1	205	23/04/1993	North Vancouver, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
26	Travis St. Denis	L	5'8	166	17/09/1992	Trail, B.C.	Penticton (BCHL)
71	Bryce Gervais	L	5'9	155	26/02/1992	North Battleford, Sask.	Penticton (BCHL)
91	Steven Fogarty	R	6'3	200	19/04/1993	Chambersberg, PA	Penticton (BCHL)
Coaches
Fred Harbinson , Head Coach							Penticton (BCHL)
Steve Cawley , Assistant Coach							Penticton (BCHL)
Mike Hengen , Assistant Coach							Penticton (BCHL)
Mat Sells , Assistant Coach							Penticton (BCHL)
Staff
Frank Darin , President							Penticton (BCHL)
Geoff Carter , Trainer							Penticton (BCHL)
Don Cameron , Equipment Manager							Penticton (BCHL)

More information about the Royal Bank Cup can be found at http://www.hockeycanada.ca

Please visit the Penticton Vees at http://www.pentictonvees.ca

Joey Benik scored the game-winning goal on a power play with 51.3 seconds to go as the Penticton Vees won the 2012 RBC Cup with a 4-3 victory over the Woodstock Slammers on Sunday night.

Media Gallery | Buy photos at HockeyCanadaImages.ca

The national championship is the second for Penticton, which won the Centennial Cup in 1986 when the team was known as the Knights. The Vees finished the season with a record of 74-10-2, including regular season, playoffs and the RBC Cup.

Travis St. Denis, Steven Fogarty and Bryce Gervais had the other goals for Penticton, which scored first for the second day in a row after falling behind in each of their four preliminary round games. St. Denis and Fogarty had a goal and an assist each, while Mike Reilly and Mario Lucia both chipped in with two helpers.

St. Denis and Fogarty gave the Vees a 2-0 lead just 12:18 in, but the Slammers, who erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 in their semifinal win over the Humboldt Broncos on Saturday, battled back for the second day in a row.

Bradley Greene got Woodstock on the board just 61 seconds after Fogarty’s goal, Nick Huard tied it eight minutes into the second period on a Slammers power play and Greene’s second goal 90 seconds after the puck dropped to start the third period gave the East region champions their first lead at 3-2.

But the Vees tied the game at 11:10 of the final frame when Gervais poked a loose puck past Woodstock goaltender Matt Murphy after Fogarty’s initial shot had hit the post, and went ahead for good when Benik took a pass from St. Denis in the slot and beat Murphy, who got a piece of the puck, but not enough.

Murphy finished with 30 saves, while his Penticton counterpart, Michael Garteig, had 22 stops.

The Vees are the third Pacific Region team to win the RBC Cup in the last four years, and are the 10th team from the British Columbia Hockey League to be crowned national champions since the start of the five-team format in 1990.

Woodstock finished 63-13-1, becoming the first Maritime Hockey League team to reach the national final since the Halifax Oland Exports in 2002.

Saint John Sea Dogs Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Champions

RIMOUSKI, Que. – The Saint John Sea Dogs left no doubt as they completed their defence of the President’s Cup championship with an 8-0 win over the Rimouski Oceanic Thursday.

Stanislav Galiev had a hat trick and added two assists as the Sea Dogs became the first repeat Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champions since the Gatineau/Hull Olympiques in 2003 and 2004. Mathieu Corbeil, who played every minute of the Sea Dogs playoff run, made 24 saves for his first shutout and 16^th win of the post-season.

Tomas Jurco added two goals and two assists, while Zack Phillips, Jonathan Huberdeau and Danick Gauthier had a goal and a helper each. Nathan Beaulieu and Ian Saab both chipped in two assists.

Charlie Coyle had a rare quiet night with one assist, but received the Guy Lafleur Trophy as most valuable player of the QMJHL playoffs. Coyle and Galiev finished tied for the league scoring lead with 34 points each, a team record. Galiev had 16 goals, tying the mark Huberdeau set last year.

The Sea Dogs, who lost just one playoff game, completed their third sweep of the playoffs and became just the seventh team to win back-to-back titles. As QMJHL champions, the Dogs qualify for the MasterCard Memorial Cup, where they will attempt to defend their national championship in the four-team tournament, which runs May 18-27 in Shawinigan, Que.

Jacob Chouinard, who started and finished the game in goal for the Oceanic, allowed five goals on 26 shots in the loss while Carl Hozjan stoppd six of nine shots in a relief stint.

For a complete summary of Wednesday’s game, click HERE. For interviews and highlights, visit Sea Dogs TV, the team’s official YouTube channel.

The Sea Dogs put their stamp on this game early and rang up a 5-0 lead before the first period was out. Jurco opened the scoring at 4:14 with a shot from the slot on a setup from Galiev, who passed out front while falling down along the end boards.

Phillips made it 2-0 at 11:39 when Beaulieu cut across the blueline and flipped a pass across the zone toward the net that Phillips redirected home for his ninth.

Just 50 seconds later Gauthier beat Chouinard with a backhand shot from inside the left-wing faceoff dot. Huberdeau and Kevin Gagne assisted on the goal, Gauthier’s 13^th, which triggered the first of two goaltending changes for Rimouski.

Hozjan, however, fared no better, allowing goals by Jurco and Galiev 19 seconds apart late in the opening frame. Jurco flipped a puck in front of the net from the left-wing corner then knocked the bouncing puck in from the slot with his backhand at 18:55. Beaulieu and Galiev assisted on the goal, Jurco’s 13^th. Galiev then jammed in Jurco’s rebound to make it 5-0 at 19:14, with the other assist going to Phillips.

The onslaught continued 3:49 into the second period when Galiev struck again. Jurco and Ian Saab had the assists this time, and the Oceanic switched goaltenders once again.

Chouinard’s return between the pipes seemed to somewhat stabilize the Oceanic, and they escaped the second period without further damage.

Galiev completed the natural hat trick at 4:44 of the third, with assists from Jurco and Saab. Huberdeau rounded out the summary with his 10^th of the playoffs at 7:47, assisted by Coyle and Gauthier.

Article 1st Published at http://www.saintjohnseadogs.com

London Knights - OHL Champions - J Ross Robertson Cup Champions

LONDON KNIGHTS - 2012 Ontario Hockey League - J Ross Robertson Cup - Champions

Terry Wilson / OHL Images

The London Knights are 2011-12 OHL Champions after defeating the Niagara IceDogs 2-1 in Game 5 of the Rogers OHL Championship Series.

This marks the second Robertson Cup OHL Championship title for the Knights who last won in 2005.

The teams exchanged chances in the first period. The Knights' Michael Houser and the IceDogs' Mark Visentin stopped seven shots apiece to keep the score 0-0.

At 12:34 of the second period Austin Watson broke the goose egg banging in a loose puck. Visentin made the initial save off of a streaking Scott Harrington shot. Watson drove to the net for his 10th of the playoffs.

Seth Griffith extended the lead to 2-0 for the Knights early in the third period. Griffith and Namestnikov skated in on a two-on-one. Namestnikov waited for the IceDogs defender to commit then flipped a pass over to Griffith who one-timed his shot past Visentin.

The IceDogs cut the lead in half at 7:53 of the third. Tom Kuhnhackl, battling in front of the Knights' net, picked up the rebound from a Jamie Oleksiak point shot and put it past Houser for his sixth of the playoffs.

Houser made 26 saves for his 16th win of the playoffs helping the Knights to an impressive 16-3 record in the post-season defeating the Windsor Spitfires in four games, the Saginaw Spirit in six games, the Kitchener Rangers in four straight, before finishing the IceDogs in five.

Austin Watson won the Wayne Gretzky 99 trophy as playoff MVP. He had two goals in the final series, including one in the final game and finished the playoffs with 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points in 19 games and played a critical role on the Knights' penalty kill blocking countless shots all series. The last member of the Knights to win the award was Corey Perry for his efforts in the 2005 series.

The Knights will head to Shawinigan, Quebec, for the MasterCard Memorial Cup and will open competition against the QMJHL Champion Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday May 19th.

Article 1st Published at http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com

Amputee Ice Hockey - Canada Wins 6th ISIHF World Championship

Team Canada Wins 6th Straight ISIHF World Championship with a 6 to 3 Victory over Finland in the Gold Medal Game in Tampere, Finland.

The Canadian Amputee Hockey Committee was established in 2001 for the purpose of promoting ice hockey for all amputees regardless of age, gender, race or physical ability.

Since its inception, the team iced by the Committee has proven to be a force to be reckoned with…undefeated in international competition, and the winners of 6 consecutive ISIHF World Championships.

International Standing Amputee Ice Hockey Federation http://www.isihf.org

Canadian Amputee Hockey Committee http://www.canadianamputeehockey.ca

Team Canada

Shirt nr	Name	Position
30	Neil Kelly	goalie
31	Jarret Dark	goalie
3	Slade Dolye	defence
6	Mike Barnewall	defence
7	Max Ramalho	defence
27	Don Wade	defence
73	Cam Debuc	defence
85	Marquis Major	defence
88	Sylvain Coste	defence
97	Brandon Cousineau	defence
8	Vaughan Macdonald	forward
9	Kevin Delaney	forward
10	Kory Lorentz	forward
12	Curt Minard	forward
13	Sean Vanedam	forward
15	Jake Vader	forward
22	Julien Belanger	forward
29	Tom Rinn	forward
77	Scott Stafford	forward
91	Brad Blenkhorn	forward
	Jamie McGuire	Head Coach
	Dan Church	Coach
	Rob Heholt	Coach
	James Reilly	Coach
	Jason Pajaczkowski	Doctor
	Dan Mazur	CPO
	Mike Pochwat	Photographer

What is Standing Amputee Ice Hockey?
When people with leg or arm amputations or with similar disabilities play Standing Amputee Ice Hockey, they skate in a regular upright position and use standard prostheses and the standard ice hockey equipment. The term "standing" serves to mark a distinction from Sledge Ice Hockey, where players use both hands for propulsion, maneuvering and shooting, while skating in sitting position on specially designed sleds. A sport specific classification system has been developed to equalize teams and capabilities, and to assure safe and fair play.

Classification System
Any athlete wishing to participate in an ISIHF event must first meet the minimum handicap criteria for the amputee category: an amputation through or above the ankle or wrist joint. Prior to competing in an ISIHF sanctioned competition, all players must have their amputations categorized by a certified classifier belonging to their respective National Paralympic Committee. Depending on the degree of amputation, the player will then be placed in a category and assigned a point value.

Description	Class	Point Assignment
Above/through knee amputation, shoulder disarticulation	C	1
Below knee/through or above ankle amputation	B	2
Below elbow/through or above wrist amputation, above/through elbow amputation	A	3

When registering for the ISIHF event, the player must provide corresponding documentation signed by the classifier, to the Championship Organizing Committee. Each player must wear a sticker corresponding to his or her point assignment number attached to each side of his or her helmet. Teams are then limited to the total number of points they may have on the ice at any one time.

Number of players on the ice	Maximum points allowed on the ice
5 (full strength)	12
4 (single penalty)	9
3 (double penalty)	6

Table Hockey ~ Yevhen Levdansky Wins Ukraine Cup 2012 in Kyiv

Yevhen Levdansky ~ Ukraine Cup Champion ~ Table Hockey ~ 2012

Left to Right -

Mykhaylo Spivakovskyy, Ukraine (3-rd place); Yevhen Levdansky, Ukraine (1-st Place and Best Junior); Grigiriy Dubinin, Russia (2-nd Place); Vitaliy Sapozhnikov, Ukraine (4-th Place and Best Veteran).

Championship Game Scores ~ Game one, 5 to 2, Levdansky ~ Game two, 3 to 2 Dubinin ~ Game three, 4 to 1 Levdansky ~ Game four, OVERTIME, 4 to 3 Dubinin ~ Game five, OVERTIME, 2 to 1 Levdansky ~ Game six, 4 to 3 Levdansky.

Ukraine Cup ~ Full Schedule & Results HERE http://scorpion.stigahockey.spb.ru/eng/tournament/stage/675/matches/

South Africa Mens Field Hockey Win Final Spot to London Olympics

South Africa Men's Field Hockey Team are Going to the Summer Olympics in London, England

May 6th, 2012

South Africa topped Japan in the Olympic Qualifier final and is headed to London

(Photo: Stanislas Brochier)

First-Place Game: South Africa 2, Japan 1

South Africa became the last team to join the 2012 London Olympic Hockey Tournament after winning the Men’s Olympic Qualifier in Kakamigahara, Japan with a 2-1 win over Japan. It will be South Africa’s third consecutive appearance at the Olympics.

South Africa entered the tournament as the top-seed, holding the #12 spot in the World Ranking. But the margin between the teams in Kakamigahara was thin, with Japan as the #15 team and bronze medalist China holding the #17 spot.

The balance of the teams was clear in a scoreless first half. South Africa may have held the advantage in terms of possession, but Japan’s chances were more dangerous as they used their trademark speed to keep South African goaltender Erasmus Pieterse on his toes. Things were visibly tense on the field and teams had to settle for a 0-0 draw at the break. It was shades of the round robin game between the teams earlier this week, which ended in a 3-3 draw with no team ever holding a clear advantage.

Thornton McDade ended the scoring silence when he slipped behind Japan goalkeeper Shunsuke Nagaoka with some fancy footwork and tapped in the 1-0 marker after nearly 45 minutes of scoring silence. With 16 minutes left, a great defensive play on a Japanese penalty corner chance led to a breakaway for South Africa and Lloyd Norris Jones doubled the South African lead.

But the game was far from over as the home stretch was a flurry of activity that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. Japan pulled to within one when Kenji Kitazato ripped one into the net, making it a one goal game with six minutes left. Japan applied amazing pressure on South African in the waning minutes, but the South Africa defense withstood the attack and held on for the 2-1 win and the berth to the London Games.

It was a particularly long and bumpy Road to London for the South Africans, who thought they had their spot in the Games sealed after winning the Africa Cup last year, but had to go through the qualification tournament process to meet its National Olympic Committee’s guidelines. But both the men’s and women’s team took the challenge to heart and both persevered and will be in London.

TEAM ROSTER

Shirt	Name	Age	Caps
1	Jonathan ROBINSON	25	25
2	Wade PATON (C)	26	49
3	Andrew CRONJE	27	84
4	Lloyd MADSEN	25	52
5	Austin SMITH (C)	26	88
7	Timothy DRUMMOND	24	28
8	Marvin HARPER	26	51
9	Julian HYKES	29	51
10	Lloyd NORRIS-JONES	26	72
11	Lance LOUW	25	43
14	Rhett HALKETT	25	46
17	Michael SMITH (GK)	21	0
18	Thornton MCDADE	31	76
23	Erasmus PIETERSE (GK)	28	42
25	Justin REID-ROSS	25	73
29	Ian HALEY	29	67
30	Taine PATON	23	30
31	Clinton PANTHER	21	19
Staff
Coach	CLARK, GREGG
Assistant Coach	CERFONTEYNE, KURT
Manager	VAN ROOYEN, ANTON

Article 1st Published at http://FIH.ch

Lizzie Watkins Dies After Being Hit by Field Hockey Ball ~ RIP ~

The Australian Field Hockey Community is in shock following the tragic death of 24-year-old Lizzie Watkins in a tragic accident during the match on May 6, 2012.

The elite 24-year-old died from fatal head injuries after a Field Hockey Ball deflected off her own stick and hit her in the back of the head during a game at Curtin University. "She rushed from fullback to make a tackle when the ball deflected and hit her on the back of the head".

The young woman was a defender for North Coast Raiders who were playing the Victoria Park Panthers.

She fell to the ground unconscious when she was hit midway through the first half of the game.

Ms. Watkins was playing alongside her elder sister Catherine Carrol at Curtin University in Western Australia, when the incident occurred.

Competition in which she was playing was one of the best in the world with a huge number of current and former Olympic players.

People at the scene attempted to revive Ms Watkins, who was breathing when an amulance arrived.

She died on the way to hospital.

Hockey Australia Chief Executive Mark Anderson said Sunday was a very sad day for the sport.

“On behalf of the entire hockey community I would like to express our support and sympathies to the Watkins family at this very sad time. Our thoughts extend to all involved at the North Coast Raiders Hockey Club," he said.

“Hockey is a sport that is known for its strong sense of community. I know that members of our two national teams and players involved at all levels of our sport are saddened by this tragic event.

"The Kookaburras wore black arm bands in the final of the London VISA International Invitational Hockey Tournament overnight at Olympic Park out of respect for Lizzie and her family.

Kookaburras player Jamie Dwyer tweeted: “All the Kookaburras thoughts are with the Watkins family after the devastating news. Such a sad day in the hockey world.”

”I know that our community both nationally and particularly in Western Australia will pull together to provide as much support as possible to all involved."

Hockey WA are working closely with their community and the North Coast Raiders Hockey Club to ensure all possible support is provided to those involved in the accident.

Rest In Peace Lizzie Watkins ~ RIP

London 2012 welcomes Japan to the Summer Olympics

Japanese Women Claim Final Summer Olympics Spot by Winning Qualification Tournament on home soil in Kakamigahara

May 5th, 2012

Japan wins the last ticket to the women's Olympic Hockey Tournament

(Photo: FIH / Stanislas Brochier)

First Place: Japan 5, Azerbaijan 1

Japan will make its third consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games after winning the FIH Women’s Qualification Tournament in front of a sold out home crowd in Kakamigahara. The top-seeded Japanese routed second-seeded Azerbaijan, 5-1, in today’s final.

Akane Shibata had the game of her career today. She scored two sprawling goals to help Japan build a strong first half lead. Shibata had scored only once in the previous five games.

Japan took the lead eight minutes into the game when Rika Komazawa scored a clean short corner. Komazawa also scored twice in the win. Japan doubled the advantage midway through the half when Shibata got her stick on a short corner deflection that went up and over the shoulder of Viktoriya Shahbazova. Shibata followed up her first goal by making a big stretch on her second tally to open up a 3-0 lead.

The goals continued to roll. Tournament Top Scorer Kaori Fujio got in on the fun, storming down field and putting Japan ahead 4-0 with eight minutes left in the first half.

Azerbaijan chipped into the hefty lead to open the second half scoring. Khatira Aliyeva scored her fifth penalty corner goal of the tournament to give Azerbaijan a glimmer of hope. But it did little to slow the Japanese down as Komazawa put in her second marker to bring the final to a definitive 5-1.

After the game, there were tears on both sides of the pitch. The Japanese women have been under enormous pressure as the ninth-ranked team in the FIH World Ranking, host and tournament favorite and today they could finally enjoy accomplishing their London mission.

For Azerbaijan it is the second consecutive Olympic qualifier that they have finished in second place. They also narrowly missed Beijing after losing to Spain in 2008 at home in Baku. Azerbaijan has never played at the Olympic Games.

JAPAN TEAM ROSTER

Shirt	Name	Age	Caps
1	Sakiyo ASANO (GK)	24	50
2	Nagisa HAYASHI	25	54
3	Akemi KATO	41	375
4	Sachimi IWAO	36	247
5	Miyuki NAKAGAWA	25	183
6	Ai MURUKAMI	27	74
7	Shiho OTSUKA	22	39
8	Yukari YAMAMOTO (C)	30	205
9	Aki MITSUHASHI	22	48
10	Rika KOMAZAWA	29	205
11	Kaori FUJIO	31	180
12	Akane SHIBATA	23	33
13	Chie AKUTSU	27	72
14	Keiko MANABE	25	67
15	Mika IIMURA	26	33
17	Masako SATO	24	38
18	Ryoko OIE (GK)	23	1
21	Izuki TANAKA	20	16
Staff
Coach	YASUDA, ZENJIRO
Assistant Coach
Manager	NAGAI, YUJI

Article 1st Published at http://FIH.ch

Field Hockey Stick Skills ~

Red Deer Optimist Rebels Win The Telus Cup in Double Overtime

Captain Brady Bakke sets up Nick Glackin who scored the Double-OT Winner as the Red Deer Optimist Rebels win their first Telus Cup Canadian Midget Triple-AAA Championship in a thrilling come from behind vicory in Leduc Recreation Centre, Leduc, Alberta.

The Rebels were making their ninth appearance in the tournament, they had made three previous trips to the Gold Medal Game. They lost in double overtime in 1994 and 2007 and were silver-medal winners in 1995.

Phénix du Collège Esther-Blondin was leading 5 to 1 going into the 3rd period, and then they got into penalty problems allowing The Rebels 4 power play goals to tie the game, and then send it to overtime. Nick Glackin capped off his natural hat trick at 8:45 of the second overtime to complete a remarkable comeback from a 5-1 third-period deficit.

GAME SUMMARY

First Period

Goals:
   10:20 QUE 22 Vincent Deslauriers (23 Frédérik Gauthier)
   12:48 QUE 22 Vincent Deslauriers (10 A.J. Greer, 23 Frédérik Gauthier)
   19:40 QUE 23 Frédérik Gauthier (28 Daniel Audette, 13 Dominic Talbot-Tassi) PP

Penalties:
   04:03 PAC 17 Scott Ferguson (Interference)
   14:31 QUE 27 Laurent Dauphin (Checking to the Head)
   18:32 PAC 2 Kolton Dixon (Boarding)
   19:05 PAC 14 B.J. Duffin (Tripping)

Second Period

Goals:
   00:43 PAC 19 Brady Bakke SH
   15:33 QUE 14 David Bergeron (19 Tristan Tremblay) PP
   18:31 QUE 27 Laurent Dauphin (13 Dominic Talbot-Tassi) PP

Penalties:
   02:43 PAC 12 Brendan Dennis (Checking to the Head)
   02:43 QUE 7 Mathieu Leclerc (Checking to the Head)
   06:20 PAC 2 Kolton Dixon (Interference)
   09:42 PAC 20 Scott Feser (Slashing)
   09:42 QUE 7 Mathieu Leclerc (Slashing)
   13:42 PAC 4 Jonathan Finnigan (Checking to the Head)
   13:42 PAC 15 Rory Davidson (Interference)
   13:42 QUE 18 Guillaume Beaudry (Checking to the Head)
   16:09 QUE 30 Simon Leiva (Tripping)
   18:06 PAC 7 Tanner Lomsnes (Hooking)
   19:51 QUE 21 Kevin Deslauriers (Checking to the Head)

Third Period

Goals:
   00:53 PAC 20 Scott Feser (5 Stefan Danielson, 16 Ty Mappin) PP
   10:54 PAC 20 Scott Feser (17 Scott Ferguson) PP
   11:12 PAC 8 Nick Glackin (9 Joel Topping) PP
   12:42 PAC 8 Nick Glackin (19 Brady Bakke) PP

Penalties:
   01:57 PAC 16 Ty Mappin (Hooking)
   09:59 QUE 11 Alexandre Caron-Roy (Game Misconduct)
   09:59 QUE 11 Alexandre Caron-Roy (Major - Boarding)
   10:11 QUE 8 Jason Rouleau (Slashing)

Overtime

Goals:
None

Penalties:
None

Second Overtime

Goals:
08:45 PAC 8 Nick Glackin (19 Brady Bakke, 10 Logan Fisher) PP

Penalties:
02:47 PAC 14 B.J. Duffin (Kneeing)
08:05 QUE 20 Alexandre Grenier (Tripping)

The teams combined for 93 shots on net.

Telus Cup 2012 Award Winners:

Most Valuable Player - Laurent Dauphin ~ Phénix du Collège Esther-Blondin ~ Quebec

Most Sportsman Like - Kord Pankewicz ~ Leduc Oil Kings ~ Host

Top Goaltender - Dasan Sydora ~ Red Deer Optimist Rebels ~ Alberta

Top Defenceman - Alberta Joel Topping ~ Red Deer Optimist Rebels ~ Alberta

Top Forward - Daniel Audette ~ Phénix du Collège Esther-Blondin ~ Quebec

Top Scorer - Laurent Dauphin ~ Phénix du Collège Esther-Blondin ~ Quebec

Esso Scholarship Award / Most Dedicated Award - Bryn MacNab ~ Saskatoon Contacts ~ Saskatchewan

Pembina Valley Hawks - Esso Cup Champions - National Champions

PEMBINA VALLEY HAWKS FLY HIGHER THAN REST TO CLAIM GOLD MEDAL AT 2012 ESSO CUP

by Geordie Carragher

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The Pembina Valley Hawks (West) are a team made up of players from 12 different communities, a fact referenced all week on an end-board sign that read: ‘12 Towns = Pembina Valley = Esso Cup!

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A reference to the team’s emphasis on playing for each other, the Hawks fulfilled that sign’s prophecy Saturday at the CARI Complex, defeating former champions the Thunder Bay Queens (Ontario) 4-2 to claim their first-ever gold medal at Canada’s National Female Midget Championship.

Cassidy Carels (Bruxelles, Man.) and Lauryn Keen (Manitou, Man.) had three points apiece to help send the Hawks flying to the top of the 2012 Esso Cup pack.

Jessica Kaminsky (La Salle, Man.) opened the scoring for Pembina Valley, slipping behind the Thunder Bay defence and beating Queens goaltender Megan Leikkari (Thunder Bay, Ont.) on a deke to put the Hawks up 1-0 midway through the first.

The Thunder Bay Queens, which featured five returnees from the 2010 Esso Cup championship team, pressed for the equalizer throughout the remainder of the period, applying constant pressure in the offensive zone. However, Brittni Mowat (Glenboro, Man.) withstood the potent Queens attack, making plenty of key saves and showing why she was named the tournament’s top netminder. Thunder Bay outshot Pembina Valley 12-4 in the opening frame.

Thunder Bay finally broke through early in the second, as 2010 Esso Cup MVP Kaitlyn Tougas (Thunder Bay, Ont.) had her initial shot blocked by a Hawks defender, but found the puck again and fired it past Mowat to tie the game up one-goal apiece.

But Pembina Valley reclaimed the lead just five minutes later, when Kaminsky made a beautiful cross-ice pass to Carels, who made no mistake from the top of the crease, just seven seconds into a power-play, to make it 2-1 in favour of the Hawks.

Carels scored her second of the game four minutes later, as Brooke Drummond (Holland, Man.) muscled the tournament’s top forward, Jessica Gazzola (Thunder Bay, Ont.), off the puck at the Queens blue line. Carels picked up the puck, and her shot squeaked through Leikkari’s arm to give Pembina Valley a 3-1 lead.

Thunder Bay ran into more penalty trouble late in the second, and Pembina Valley made them for it, with Keen scoring a highlight reel goal at 18:41 in the second. She picked up a long stretch pass, pulled the puck around a Queens defender with a toe drag, and put the puck over Leikkari’s right shoulder to give Pembina Valley a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Thunder Bay applied more pressure on Pembina Valley to start the third, and their efforts were rewarded midway through the period, when Cava, named the tournament’s MVP, converted a cross-ice pass from Tougas to pull Thunder Bay back to within two. But the Queens would get no closer to reclaiming the Esso Cup throne. Although their pressure persisted for the rest of the game, with the Queens coming at Pembina Valley with wave after wave of attacks, but Mowat stood tall between the posts in the dying moments, turning in one last sensational effort with 35 saves. Pembina Valley played well at both ends of the ice, proving the classic line that, “offence wins games, but defence wins championships.”

Congratulations to the Pembina Valley Hawks on claiming their first Esso Cup gold medal, and to all six participating teams at this year’s National Female Midget Championship for all of their efforts on the ice this week in Charlottetown.

Article 1st Published at http://HockeyCanada.ca