Norwegian juniors promoted

16 Dec 2012 | Henrik Lundqvist

The U20 team of Norway were successful in Amiens and won the World Juniors Division 1A to promote to the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship in Malmö, Sweden.

With five wins in five games of the WJC Division 1A the junior team of Norway promotes to the 2014 World Juniors in Sweden. The key to the success was the overtime win against Denmark in the fourth game when both teams had started the tournament with three wins. The Danish team also lost to Belarus on the last day in the game deciding the runner-up. Slovenia finished fourth and Austria fifth. The host France lost all games and relegate to Division 1B.

In the first game Norway beat Austria 4-1 and in the second France was defeated 3-1. Jonas Knutsen scored twice, 3-1 and 4-2, when Norway were outshot 41-29 against Belarus but managed to win it 4-2.

In the game against Denmark the Danish team took the leas at 4:26 by Patrick Russell. Mathias Trettenes tied it for Norway six minutes later but Sebastian Ehlers restored the Danish lead at 13:25. The Danish lead would last until 52:00 when Jonas Knutsen tied it on a 2-man-advantage. In the overtime period Jørgen Karterud scored the game-winning goal.

When Norway beat Slovenia 5-1 in the last game the tournament was won even before Denmark-Belarus was played. Andreas Heier, Iver Håland, Eirik Salsten, Sebastian Weberg and Jonas Knutsen scored the goals on this great day for Norwegian hockey.

Top scorer of the tournament was Artur Gavrus who scored 5 goals and 5 assists and also was named Best Forward by the directorate. The Slovenian goalie Luka Gracnar was named Best Goalkeeper and Denmark's Bjørn Ulldall Best Defenseman.