Four years ago

04 Jan 2014 | Henrik Lundqvist

Sweden and Russia will play today’s first semi final of the World Junior Championship. The very first time the 1994 teams of those two countries faced each other was in February 2010 in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. Six Russian and nine Swedish players from that game are also here in Malmö four years later.

February 12-14 2010 the U16 teams of Sweden, Russia, Finland and Czech Republic got together for a 4-nation tournament. The first international experience for many of the players. Sweden won all three games to finish on top. Finland got the second place and Russia the third. The home team Czech Republic finished last.

Bogdan Yakimov, Alexei Bereglazov, Anton Slepyshev, Vadim Khlopotov, Valeri Vasiliev and Andrei Vasilevski are the only Russian players are the only one that made it all the way from this U16 team to the 2014 World U20 Championship.

From the Swedish team nine players are present here in Malmö. Filip Forsberg, Sebastian Collberg, Erik Karlsson, Christian Djoos, Nick Sörensen, Linus Arnesson, Elias Lindholm, Jacob de la Rose and Marcus Högberg.

When they played February 12 2010 Sweden got an easy 7-2 thanks to a 5-0 lead after the first period. Today’s Russian starting goalie Andrei Vasilevski actually started that game and allowed five of ten shots in the opening twenty minutes.

Filip Forsberg was a big star of the Swedish team already back then and he scored three goals and added a helper against the Russians. Sebastian Collberg also scored two goals. The other Swedish goals were scored by players that no longer are a part of Team Sweden; Isak Nyström and Carl-Johan Meyer. Russia’s goals were also scored by two players that no longer belong to the absolute top of Russian 1994-born players; Denis Kamaev and Nikita Kramskoy

Teuvo Teräväinen, Ville Pokka, Topi Nättinen, Juuso Vainio, Janne Juvonen and Rasmus Ristolainen are the Finnish players from this tournament that also got selected for the 2014 U20 championship. Finland of course misses Kalle Torniainen who was the top scorer four years ago but had to retire at age 19 due to shoulder injuries.

Czech Republic has seven players remaining from the U16 team back in 2010: Vojtech Tomecek, Dominik Volek, Patrik Machac, Martin Prochazka, Patrik Marcel, Michal Plutnar and Marek Langhamer.

All past meetings Sweden (1994) - Russia (1994)

2010-02-12 in Karlovy Vary Sweden-Russia 7-2
2011-02-10 in Balashika Russia-Sweden 4-2
2012-02-08 in Harjavalta Sweden-Russia 3-1
2012-04-17 in Znojmo Sweden-Russia 2-0
2013-08-30 in Rovaniemi Sweden-Russia 2-1 OT
2013-11-09 in Novogorsk Russia-Sweden 2-4
2013-12-31 in Malmö Sweden-Russia 3-2