Russia U18 returned from the 2021 World U18 Championship

After returning to Moscow from the 2021 IIHF World U18 Championship in the USA, under 18 Russian national team head coach Albert Leshchyov and forwards Matvei Michkov, Ivan Miroshnichenko and Nikita Chibrikov all spoke to the press:

Head coach Albert Leshchyov:

- We are happy with these medals. Yes, we wanted to return home with the gold, but silver also means a lot to us. Thank you to our guys for trying hard and earning second place at the competition. I have tears in my eyes? They are tears of pride for my players and our country. The most emotional moment of the tournament was when we defeated Finland to qualify for the final. I will join the national team in the next couple of days.

Forward Matvei Michkov:

- For me, the most emotional moment was when we scored goals against Canada. We will now travel to Novogorsk, before we subsequently begin preparing for future tournaments. Are we satisfied with the silver medal? No.

Forward Ivan Miroshnichenko:

- It took around a day for us to make the trip home. Life in the bubble? To be honest, it wasn't easy, you can't just go out for a walk when you want to. I'm looking forward to seeing my family again soon. Avangard Omsk forward Ilya Kablukov sent me a message to congratulate us with the silver medal, he said that he had been watching the competition and watching us.

Forward Nikita Chibrikov:

- It's great to be home again, thank you to everyone who supported us. The main difference between senior and junior ice hockey? There are more emotions here, senior players are more level-headed. I am proud of everyone in this team! My plans? I will now prepare for my school exams!