Czech prospect Vrana adapting well to Swedish hockey Photo: Czech forward Jakub Vrana currently plays hockey in Sweden, but could receive attention at the 2013 CHL Import Draft (courtesy of Chapin Landvogt/HF)
Adler, a small, rather nameless coastal resort just south of Sochi that is receiving worldwide attention as one of the hosting places of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, recently was packed with hockey scouts, journalists and the top players born in 1995 or later for the IIHF Under-18 World Championship. Video: 2013 NHL Combine – Elias Lindholm, Sweden Photo: Swedish forward Elias Lindholm, shown here during the testing portion of the 2013 NHL Combine, is one of several forwards that are expected to be chosen in the top 10 of the 2013 NHL Draft (courtesy of Keith Hamilton/Icon SMI)
Although the crop of Swedish prospects is not as deep as in recent years, there is still some good talent from that country at the top of the 2013 NHL Draft class. The best of this year's lot is forward Elias Lindholm of the Brynas organization. Soberg hoping to become second NHL draftee in family Photo: Norwegian forward Markus Soberg has spent the past two seasons playing in Sweden for Frolunda (courtesy of hockeypuck.blogg.no)
At the 2011 IIHF U18 tournament in Dresden and Crimmitschau, Germany, more than a few people in the hockey community found themselves raising their eyebrows with respect to a pair of brothers suiting up for Team Norway. 2013 U18 WJC Video: Andre Burakovsky, Sweden Photo: Sweden’s Andre Burakowsky is the son Robert Burakowsky, a long-time European pro player who spent part of one NHL season with the Ottawa Senators (courtesy of Chapin Landvogt/HF) Sweden was sailing through the preliminary round of the 2013 U18 World Junior Championship until they ran into a brick wall in the form of Team Canada in the final game of the opening round. Canada blanked the Swedes, 6-0, marring what had otherwise been a good showing for Sweden at this U18. 2013 U18 WJC Playoffs: Canada, Russia could renew gold medal rivalry Photo: Forward Vladimir Tkachev has been the scoring star so far for Russia at the 2013 U18 World Junior Championship (courtesy of Derek Leung/Getty Images) The preliminary round has come and gone at the 2013 U18 World Junior Championship, and Groups A and B each featured one fairly dominant team. |
