The junior national team's roster for the Four Nations

The Russian junior national team coaches have decided on the roster for Novogorsk training camp, which will be a preparation event for the Four Nations which will take place in the Czech Republic between the 26th and 28th of August. Head coach Valery Bragin has included 28 players in the squad, and 22 of them will travel to the competition:

Goalkeepers: Konstantin Volkov (SKA-1946), Ilya Samsonov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Vladislav Sukhachyov (Belie Medvedi).

Defensemen: Andrei Bannikov (Traktor Chelyabinsk), Artyom Volkov, Yegor Zaitsev (both Dynamo Blashikha), Ilya Karpukhin (Belie Medvedi), Vadim Kudako (Severstal Cherepovets), Yegor Rykov (SKA), Mikhail Sidorov (Ak Bars Kazan), Kamil Fazylzyanov (Reaktor), Artyom Chmykhov (Krasnaya Armiya).

Forwards: Artyom Artemov (Sibir Novosibirsk), Kirill Belyaev (Yugra Khanty Mansiysk), Vladimir Bobylev, Nikita Li (both Spartak Moscow), Alexander Volkov, Ivan Volodin (both SKA-1946), Mikhail Vorobyov, Kirill Kaprizov (both Salavat Yulaev Ufa), Artur Gizdatullin (Amur Khabarovsk), Danila Kvartalnov (Krasnaya Armiya), Klim Kostin, Nikolai Chebykin (both HC MVD), Pavel Kudryatsev (Loko Yaroslavl), Alexander Polunin (Lokomotiv), German Rubtsov (Vityaz Podolsk).

Valery Bragin, Russia under 20 head coach:

- Players born in 1997 have been included, as well as five players from the 2016 World Junior Championship who will miss the start of the KHL season.

- The World Championship was a useful experience, but a new year has now begun. Each player needs to prove that they are worthy of playing in the national team. Also, we will have less preparation camps this time around, so we need to see what these players are capable of. The KHL players have already gone through summer pre-season with their respective clubs.

- Sometimes, you haven't taken KHL players who get a lot of ice time to the November Super Series in Canada.

- They don't have much experience of playing on the smaller ice rinks that they have in North America.

- Last year, the team came fourth at the August Four Nations, but took silver at the World Championship. Is the result not so crucial?

- The result is always important, but different situations arise. Last season, we couldn't call up a lot of top candidates.

- Klim Kostin has been called up. Did he impress you at the Ivan Hlinka memorial tournament?

- Yes, but he has been great not only in that competition. He played excellently during two friendlies against VHL side SKA-Neva, and as a result, we have called him up.

Tournament schedule:

August 26th

Sweden - Russia, 16.00

Czech Republic - Finland, 20.00

August 27th

Finland - Sweden, 15.00

Czech Republic - Russia, 19.00

August 28th

Russia - Finland, 15.00

Czech Republic - Sweden, 19.00

Please note: all times are local.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation