2011 World Junior Championship

Host Cities: Buffalo and Niagara Falls, USA
December 26, 2010 – January 5, 2011
RESULT: GOLD MEDAL

With its first world junior championship gold in eight years Russia achieved not only the greatest comeback in the tournament’s history, but also gave one of the greatest demonstrations of willpower and determination in Russian hockey history. The road to beating Canada 5-3 at the Canadian-filled HSBC Arena in Buffalo was anything but smooth. Coach Valeri Bragin’s roster was not among the most talented Russian world junior squads in recent years and the team struggled out of the gate, losing to Canada and Sweden in the first two games. Thanks to the chemistry on Evgeni Kuznetsov’s and Vladimir Tarasenko’s lines, Russia dominated its next two opponents. The medal round was written like a dramatic fairy tale for Russia. In both the quarterfinal against the Finns and the semifinal against the Swedes, Russia was less than two minutes away from losing before tying the game and ultimately winning it in overtime (against Finland) or shootout (against Sweden). The amount of emotion that these comebacks gave to the players transpired into an especially passionate gold-medal final against a confident and heavily-supported Canadian team. The canucks gave it their all in the game’s first two periods, scoring three straight goals on Russia and causing Bragin to pull goalie Dmitri Shikin in favour of Igor Bobkov, who let in six goals in Russia’s first game against Canada. The decision paid off, as this time Bobkov was a wall in net. Early into the third period, Russia scored a pair of goals thirteen seconds apart, completely changing the dynamic of the game. Russia did not stop its speedy assault and gunned three more goals to silence the arena and seal the game’s fate. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Kuznetsov made the tournament’s all-star team, while Bobkov was named Russia’s MVP.

Game 1: Russia 3 – Canada 6
Goals: Kitsyn (Urychev, Orlov), Dvurechenski (Voronin, Orlov), Sobchenko (Tarasenko, Urychev) – Foligno (Leblanc, de Haan), Ellis, Gudbranson (Howden, Couturier), Johansen (Schwartz), Schenn (Kassian, Schwartz), Hamilton (Schenn)
Shots: Russia 27 – Canada 42
Saves: Bobkov 36 – Roy 24
PIM: Russia 10 – Canada 6

Game 2: Sweden 2 – Russia 0
Goals: Lander (Styrman, Cehlin), Fasth (Jarnkrok)
Shots: Sweden 38 – Russia 20
Saves: Lehner 30 – Shikin 36
PIM: Sweden 22 – Russia 8

Game 3: Russia 8 – Norway 2
Goals: Dvurechenski (Voronin, Pivtsakin), Sobchenko (Orlov, Urychev), Tarasenko (Berdyukov, Valuyski), Sobchenko (Tarasenko, Orlov), Kitsyn (Kuznetsov, Orlov), Sergeev (Berezin), Kuznetsov (Dvurechenski), Voronin (Dvurechenski, Berdyukov) – Weberg, Oppoyen (Rosseli Olsen, Andersen)
Shots: Russia 55 – Norway 24
Saves: Shikin 22 – Volden 47
PIM: Russia 12 – Norway 22

Game 4: Czech Republic 3 – Russia 8
Goals: Orsava (Hlinka, Holik), Straka (Nestrasil, Jerabek), Hlinka (Frk) – Orlov (Tarasenko, Sobchenko), Kuznetsov (Burdasov, Dvurechenski), Golubev (Tarasenko, Panarin), Tarasenko (Orlov, Sobchenko), Berdyukov (Kitsyn, Kuznetsov), Sobchenko (Tarasenko, Orlov), Panarin (Golubev, Bocharov), Kitsyn (Kuznetsov, Berezin)
Shots: Czech Republic 34 – Russia 29
Saves: Novotny/Mazanec 21 – Shikin 31
PIM: Czech Republic 18 – Russia 36

Quarterfinal: Finland 3 – Russia 4 (OT)
Goals: Pulkkinen (Pakarinen), Junttila (Salomaki), Donskoi (Pulkkinen, Vatanen) – Urychev (Sobchenko, Tarasenko), Kuznetsov (Kitsyn), Kitsyn (Kuznetsov, Kalinin), Kuznetsov (Kitsyn)
Shots: Finland 37 – Russia 45
Saves: Ortio 41 – Shikin 34
PIM: Finland 10 – Russia 12

Semifinal: Sweden 3 – Russia 4 (SO)
Goals: Larsson (Rakell, Thornberg), Jarnkrok (Fasth, Larsson), Cehlin (Larsson) – Tarasenko (Valuyski), Golubev (Bocharov, Panarin), Kalinin (Kitsyn, Orlov)
Shots: Sweden 49 – Russia 32
Saves: Lehner 28 – Shikin (46)
PIM: Sweden 6 – Russia 8

Final: Canada 3 – Russia 5
Goals: Ellis (Schenn, de Haan), Ashton (Leblanc), Schenn (Foligno) – Panarin (Golubev, Berezin), Kitsyn (Kuznetsov, Kalinin), Tarasenko (Kuznetsov), Panarin (Tarasenko, Golubev), Dvurechenski (Kuznetsov)
Shots: Canada 38 – Russia 27
Saves: Visentin 22 – Shikin 15/18, Bobkov 20/20
PIM: Canada 4 – Russia 8

Roster:

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
D #2 Nikita Zaytsev	6	0	0	0	0
D #3 Nikita Pivtsakin	7	0	1	1	2
D #5 Maxim Berezin	7	0	3	3	8
D #6 Georgi Berdyukov	7	1	2	3	4
D #9 Dmitri Orlov	7	1	8	9	6
D #12 Yuri Urychev	7	1	3	4	4
D #23 Maxim Ignatovich	7	0	1	1	0
D #26 Andrei Sergeev	7	1	0	1	6
F #7 Anton Burdasov	7	0	1	1	6
F #8 Semyon Valuyski	7	0	2	2	4
F #10 Vladimir Tarasenko	7	4	7	11	0
F #13 Maxim Kitsyn	7	5	4	9	0
F #14 Daniil Sobchenko	7	4	3	7	4
F #15 Artyom Voronin	7	1	2	3	10
F #17 Nikita Dvurechenski	7	3	3	6	18
F #18 Stanislav Bocharov	7	0	2	2	2
F #21 Sergei Kalinin	7	1	2	3	4
F #25 Evgeni Kuznetsov	7	4	7	11	4
F #27 Artemi Panarin	7	3	2	5	4
F #28 Denis Golubev	7	3	3	6	6
Goaltender	GP	W	L	GAA	Save %	SO
G #20 Dmitri Shikin	6	3	1	2.81	92.0	0
G #30 Igor Bobkov	2	1	1	3.85	90.3	0

Photo Gallery:

Coach Valeri Bragin

Evgeni Kuznetsov scores the game-winning goal against Finland

Goalie Dmitri Shikin making a save against Sweden in the semifinal

Maxim Kitsyn celebrates his goal against Canada

Team captain Vladimir Tarasenko lifts the trophy

Champions – 2011

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2003 World Junior Championship

Host cities: Halifax and Sydney, Canada
December 26, 2002 – January 5, 2003
RESULT: GOLD MEDAL

In one of the most exciting world junior final games in years, Canada met arguably Russia’s strongest team ever at the juniors. Despite being behind 2-1 through two periods and with the entire crowd against them, Russia pulled off a sweet victory. It was the rematch of the 2002 final and there was no revenge for Canada. This was the third time in five years that Russia beat Canada for the gold, the previous times being in 1999 (also on Canadian soil) and in 2002 in Czech Republic. When the game started Russia immediately began to dominate the play. Canadian goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made a few spectacular saves to help his team, but was beaten by Andrei Taratukhin. Canada quickly tied the game less than a minute later. The exciting first period was followed by a relatively dull second period. Both teams looked tired at times, but Canada scored and took the lead. Early into the third period, Igor Grigorenko scored on Fleury to tie the game. A couple of minutes later, Yuri Trubachev put the puck high into the net. During the remaining ten minutes of the game both teams had quality opportunities to score, but Russia’s defense held the fort to the end. At the final buzzer, the whole team mobbed goalie Andrei Medvedev, who made 22 saves. This was Russia’s fifteenth gold medal at the juniors (including Soviet Union’s gold medals). Following the game, Grigorenko was named the tournament’s best forward. When Grigorenko received his award he skated to Medvedev and shouted to the crowd in Russian “The best – is him!” The key to victory was a mix of four stable forward lines, a strong defensive game, and Medvedev’s size and agility. Coach Rafail Ishmatov trained the players to be as disciplined as they can be against the Canadians. Nine members of this Russian team, including superstar Alexander Ovechkin (who had two hat-tricks at this tournament), have since made it to the NHL and many others became stars in the Russian league.

Game 1: United States 1, Russia 5
Goals: O’Sullivan (Whitney) – Ovechkin (Trubachev, Grebeshkov), Ovechkin (Tyutin, Trubachev), Ovechkin (Trubachev, Polushin), Koltsov (Grigorenko, Perezhogin), Trubachev (Polushin, Fakhrutdinov)
Shots: United States 16 – Russia 31
Saves: Howard/Goepfert 26 – Medvedev 15
PIM: United States 32 – Russia 20

Game 2: Russia 4 – Slovakia 0
Goals: Grigorenko (Koltsov, Taratukhin), Anshakov (Kaigorodov, Lyubushin), Polushin (Grebeshkov, Trubachev), Perezhogin (Taratukhin)
Shots: Russia 33 – Slovakia 16
Saves: Medvedev 16 – Sevela 29
PIM: Russia 20 – Slovakia 8

Game 3: Belarus 1 – Russia 5
Goals: Kostitsyn (Volkau) – Perezhogin (Grigorenko, Taratukhin), Kaigarodov (Zherdev, Lyubushin), Taratukhin (Korneev), Grigorenko (Koltsov, Perezhogin), Polushin (Tyutin, Ovechkin)
Shots: Belarus 30 – Russia 45
Saves: Kamovich 40 – Barulin 29
PIM: Belarus 12 – Russia 16

Game 4: Russia 7 – Switzerland 5
Goals: Grigorenko (Taratukhin, Korneev), Koltsov (Taratukhin, Perezhogin), Ovechkin (Trubachev, Polushin), Shishkanov (Kondratiev, Anshakov), Ovechkin (Trubachev, Polushin), Grigorenko (Taratukhin, Perezhogin), Ovechkin (Polushin, Trubachev) – Christen (Baumgartner, Bartschi), Neuenschwander (Stancescu, Romy), Bartschi (Blindenbacher, Ambuhl), Neuenschwander (Ramholt, Romy), Bartschi (Blindenbacher, Christen)
Shots: Russia 29 – Switzerland 27
Saves: Medvedev 22 – Stephan 22

Semifinal: Russia 4 – Finland 1
Goals: Artyukhin, Grigorenko, Perezhogin (Grigorenko), Trubachev) – Niinimaki (Bergenheim, Ruutu)
Shots: Russia 20 – Finland 9
Saves: Medvedev 8 – Lehtonen 16
PIM: Russia 16 – Finland 6

Final: Canada 2 – Russia 3
Goals: Parenteau (Bouchard, White), Upshall – Taratukhin (Grigorenko, Perezhogin), Grigorenko (Taratukhin, Perezhogin), Trubachev (Polushin, Tyutin)
Shots: Canada 24 – Russia 31
Saves: Fleury 28 – Medvedev 22
PIM: Canada 6 – Russia 10

Roster:

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
D #3 Konstantin Korneev	6	0	2	2	4
D #4 Denis Ezhov	6	0	0	0	6
D #5 Denis Grebeshkov	6	0	2	2	6
D #7 Fedor Tyutin	6	0	3	3	12
D #17 Kirill Koltsov	6	2	3	5	6
D #22 Dmitry Fakhrutdinov	6	0	1	1	2
D #24 Maxim Kondratiev	6	0	1	1	14
D #25 Mikhail Lyubushin	6	0	2	2	0
F #6 Dmitry Pestunov	6	0	0	0	6
F #8 Alexander Ovechkin	6	6	1	7	4
F #9 Alexei Kaigorodov	6	1	2	3	4
F #11 Timofei Shishkanov	6	1	0	1	2
F #13 Nikolai Zherdev	6	0	1	1	2
F #15 Yuri Trubachev	6	3	7	10	2
F #16 Andrei Taratukhin	6	2	6	8	8
F #18 Alexander Polushin	6	2	6	8	4
F #21 Igor Grigorenko	6	6	4	10	4
F #23 Evgeni Artyukhin	6	1	0	1	10
F #26 Alexander Perezhogin	6	3	6	9	4
F #29 Sergei Anshakov	6	1	1	2	0
Goaltender	GP	W	L	GAA	Save %	SO
G #20 Konstantin Barulin	1	1	0	1.00	96.7	0
G #30 Andrei Medvedev	5	5	0	1.80	91.7	1

Photo Gallery:

Alex Ovechkin was the team’s youngest and most talented player

Alexander Perezhogin celebrating goal against Belarus

Goalie Medvedev lets in a Swiss goal

Russia celebrates a goal in the semifinal against Finland

Players crowd the goalie after winning the gold-medal game