Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000
By Lucas Aykroyd
Most Canadian hockey fans would have pegged Artem Chubarov for a pure sniper after his performance in the gold medal game at the 1999 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Winnipeg. There, the Novgorod native potted two goals for Team Russia, including the winner at 5:13 of overtime, […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000
By Lucas Aykroyd
Alexander Khavanov may not get the recognition he deserves. At 28, he’s too old to be nominated for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. The ex-Dynamo Moscow defenseman isn’t even profiled in the St. Louis Blues media guide. But early in the season, his teammates and […]

Originally published on IHWC.NET in 2002
By Lucas Aykroyd
Like other Russian athletes, members of the national hockey team experience a wide range of emotions when they hear their anthem played at a sporting event.
As of December 2000, Russia reverted to using the music of the old Soviet anthem by assent of the Duma, the Russian parliament. […]

Originally published on IHWC.NET in 2002
By Lucas Aykroyd
“Ouch! Help! Stop! No!”
From 1954 to 1991, those were probably the words you’d hear most frequently from Swedish players in games against the Soviet national team.
At the World Championships, European Championships and Olympics, the Swedes won a paltry five out of 58 confrontations with the USSR, tying […]

Originally published on IHWC.NET in 2002
By Lucas Aykroyd
Russian hockey fans have music in their hearts today as they await the result of tonight’s gold medal clash between their team and Slovakia. Here are five great Russian moments at the World Championships.
1: Let’s Get This Party Started
Russia beats Canada 7-2 before a Swedish […]

Originally published on HockeyCanada.ca in 2005
By Lucas Aykroyd
While interest in the annual IIHF World Junior Championship is enormous in Canada, some hockey fans elsewhere in the world don’t get as pumped up about it. Their attitude is, “Hey, these are just kids.” But frankly, anyone who loves Olympic hockey should keep close tabs on the […]

Originally published on HockeyCanada.ca in 2006
By Lucas Aykroyd
For hockey fans in the Great White North, there is no greater international rivalry than the one between Canada and Russia. That’s because historically the Russians have pushed Canada harder than any other nation.
In saying that, there’s no disrespect intended toward the USA. Over the last 15 years, […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2006
By Lucas Aykroyd
Before each Olympic tournament, there’s lots of talk about how Canada’s depth could hypothetically enable it to ice two separate teams. But how would other countries fare if given the same mandate? Let’s investigate, using the Czech Republic and Russia as examples.
Obviously, when creating rosters like these, […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002
By Lucas Aykroyd
The USA-Russia semi-final provided twenty of the greatest minutes in Olympic hockey history. The key to the amazing third period was the emotional high both teams maintained down to the final buzzer that confirmed the USA’s 3-2 victory and berth in the gold medal game against Canada.
The […]

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002
By Lucas Aykroyd
Sean Burke, Tommy Salo and Mike Richter are great examples of goalies that have parlayed an Olympic experience into a successful NHL career. But not all are so fortunate.
Some goalies are better suited for the concentrated brilliance that the Olympics require than for the long grind of […]