Slovakia has kept hanging in as a 'Top 8' nation at the IIHF World Juniors in recent years, barely avoiding relegation. Puck Worlds looks at their chances in 2012, and the changes that have been made in recent years to improve their fortunes.
Denmark is an emerging hockey nation, with an improving junior program, but they'll still be making a rare appearance in the top group of the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship this holiday season. Puck Worlds looks at the Danish team, evaluating the roster and weighing the team's likelihood of achieving their goal of not finishing last.
The Division 1 and 2 tournaments of the IIHF World Junior Championship wrapped up this past weekend, with Germany earning promotion to the main event next year in Ufa, Russia. Puck Worlds provides a complete listing of the placements and top players for each team.
With the Division 1A IIHF World Juniors going on in Germany, we've decided to see how exactly this second tier of hockey nations are developing their young players. How strong are their national programs, or are their players heading elsewhere to further their careers?
Canada makes its final cuts for the national junior hockey team, some of which were a surprise. Here's a look at the team that Canada will be sending, barring injuries, to Alberta on Boxing Day.
In IIHF junior action, Germany continues to work their way back to the championship division, while some amazing goaltending helped make things interesting for Lithuania and South Korea against heavily favoured opponents. Stay with Puck Worlds this week for continued coverage of the Division 1 and 2 levels of the World Juniors as we gear up for the main event.
The big stars may not be out in force at these IIHF U20 tournaments, but there are some potential gems hidden amongst the rubble in the Division 1 and 2 levels. Here we have a look at the action that will take place this week at the lower level World Junior tournaments.
This Monday, we take a trip around the world of hockey with stories on women's hockey both from the semi-professional level and the international junior level. We also take a look at all the growing roster preperation work being done by nations in advance of the 2012 IIHF U20 World Junior Hockey Championships in Alberta.
The Canadian national World Junior team is a hotly debated subject amongst hockey fans throughout the nation. I join the group with my selections, based on how Head Coach Don Hay likes to build his clubs.
Based on a formula of the results of both the U18 and U20 IIHF World Championships, I've come up with a world ranking for national junior hockey programs. The Americans are the top program heading into the 2012 World Juniors.
Team Canada announced its 41 man selection roster for the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championship. Here's a look at the roster, which provides an early glimpse into the team that will take to the ice this holiday season in Alberta.
The 2011 Subway Super Series has a lot more intrigue in year's past, with the Russians defending WJC gold as well as this tournament for the first time. Also of interest are top draft prospects Mikhail Grigorenko and Nail Yakupov, with Grigorenko reunited for one night only in Quebec City with longtime teammate Nikita Kucherov.
The 2011-12 QMJHL season is underway, and with Shawinigan hosting the Memorial Cup this year, the competition is fierce for the extra invitation. We look at the standings through October, as well as the performances of the NHL prospects to date.
A couple of recent transfers might be the sign of a trend as we get closer to the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. Could South Korean national team players be looking to leave Asia for pro hockey careers in North America and Europe?
With NHL Re-Alignment a hot topic around the hockey world, its time to re-examine the NHL's competitive balance. The elimination of a conference based schedule and playoff structure is a logical place to start.
The NHL casts a long shadow, with players that are claimed by NHL teams playing in leagues around the world. Here's a look at how the talent is spread out.
Information is pouring in on how the KHL will proceed following the Yaroslavl tragedy that wiped out the Lokomotiv team. Here's a summary of the events as they currently stand, with plans to rebuild the team under a new coach with new players.
It's been a difficult day as the plane crash that killed almost all of the KHL team Lokomotiv outside of Yaroslavl, Russia. It's probably wise that we take some time to mourn before we start playing and watching hockey again.
A plane crash in Yaroslavl, Russia, killed 43 of 45 passengers, most from the KHL club Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Here is a list of the victims.
A plane carrying the members of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League crashed shortly after takeoff. Most of the passengers are reportedly dead.
The fourth season of the Kontinental Hockey League starts on Wednesday with a rematch of last year's championship. We've recapped some of the changes that have happened with the teams and the league as a whole in the past year.
The World Junior Club Cup is now two days old, and we already know one of the finalists in Energie Karlovy Vary of the Czech Republic. In Group A, the EJHL All-Stars from the USA have been surprisingly potent and lead their group, heading for a showdown on Friday vs. CSKA Moscow.
The first ever World Junior Club Cup begins on Tuesday in Omsk, Russia, featuring junior clubs from eight different countries. While its interesting to compare the teams from various countries and leagues, a lot of the talk has been about who hasn't shown up at the inaugural edition.
Some notable NHL figures, led by Brian Burke, are proposing a rule change to allow players to 'bear hug' a player under the guise of injury prevention. Such a rule change seems, well, completely ridiculous, and here's why.