Generation of winners

"We hoped that can break chain of unlucky performances, because we have a good-skilled, good-organized team. We're trying to be more competitive. We won't go to a world championship for silver and bronze medals. But, you know, that there are also Russia, Canada, USA, Finland, Czech, Slovakia taking part in championships," Assistant coach Robert Ohlsson said in September at the 4-nations cup, that was held in Russian Podolsk.

The progress of Swedish hockey begins with a development program, where coaches pay more attention to individual growth of young players; it includes skating, passing, puck controlling. The program brings a lot of young, competitive guys into the hockey system.

The changes appeared in performance at World Junior Championships. In 2008 Sweden played for the first time in the WJC U-20 final since they lost to Canada in 1996. Canada won this game in overtime as they did in 2009, where they again face Sweden. Last year in Buffalo Sweden played the best hockey in the tournament before they met Russia in the semis. As a result Sweden lost to Russia and lost to USA in the bronze medal game.

In the WJC U-18 Sweden was in the finals for the last two years. Last year in Crimmitschau USA forward Reid Boucher tied the game with 1:29 to play and the Swedes lost this final in overtime. Many of these guys played yesterday in the Calgary final and one of them was Mika Zibanejad who broke it with a golden goal in the overtime.

"When Mika scored I can't believe that it's a truth. I thought that the refs would go to watch a video-replay. I can't believe it and can't believe in our win now," Sweden head coach Roger Rönnberg said.

"I congratulate the Swedish team on this victory. I'm glad that a Scandinavian team won this trophy. Last year after the final game they posted congratulation on the door of our locker-room, now we did it. Swedes pressured the net all the game, fired from all positions. That's why we have this big difference in shots (57-18). It was the result of a serious development program that was adopted in Sweden," Russian head coach Valery Bragin said after the final game.

"The Swedes were better, they overplayed us. It wasn't fair if we won tonight," Russian captain Yevgeny Kuznetsov said after the game.

"We're a small hockey nation. We mostly understand that we can compete with Russians, Canadians and Americans. But we have several tournaments in the year where you played against the best team, that's why you need to be lucky," Roger Rönnberg said in September.

It was the answer on the question: Are you afraid that your young players won't have a mentality of winners?

I thought that this January the Swedes were enough skilled, powerful and lucky to break a chain of unsuccessful results at world junior championships. Sweden knew last night the taste of the win and now will go to every big tournament with another mentality.

 

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