Russia U20 media day

Today on the 12th of December, the under 20 Russian national team held its media day before flying off to the World Junior Championship in Canada. Head coach Valery Bragin picked these following lines for players at this session:

Goalkeepers: Anton Krasotkin, Ilya Samsonov, Vladislav Sukhachyov.

Reds: Yegor Rykov, Mikhail Sidorov - Kirill Kaprizov, Mikhail Vorobyov, Alexander Polunin.

Blues: Yegor Voronkov, Artyom Chmykhov - Pavel Karnaukhov, Danila Kvartalnov, Kirill Urakov.

Greens: Grigory Dronov, Artyom Volkov - Danil Yurtaykin, Denis Alexeev, German Rubtsov.

Whites: Vadim Kudako, Kamil Fazylzyanov - Artyom Artemov, Kirill Belyaev, Nikita Li.

Blacks: Ruslan Petrischev, Mikhail Epishin - Mikhail Kotlyarevsky, Mikhail Maltsev, Roman Ivashov.

The team will leave for Canada on the 18th of December. There defensemen Mikhail Sergachyov (Windsor) and Sergei Zborovsky (Regina), as well as forwards Artur Tyanulin (Ottawa-67's), Yakov Trenin (Gatineau) and Denis Guryanov (Texas Stars) will join up with the group.

Russia U20 head coach Valery Bragin:

- The main thing is to get the guys in good physical condition. Also, we are working over the tactical side of things.

- How is it training on Canadian sized ice?

- We have to do everything quicker, make decisions faster. When there is less space on the ice, you need to think faster.

- At the Super Series, special teams didn't go well. Are things improving?

- Actually, when we played in that series, we didn't work on the powerplay at all. We trained for one day in Novogorsk and then flew to Canada, where there was no time to train. Now, we are working over this component.

- Did you not want to call up players who compete in North America to this training camp?

- What's the point? They will join us in Canada instead of flying to Russia.

- How many players from this squad will fly to Canada?

- 21 or 22 of them. Six more will arrive from the North American leagues.

- Who will be the captain?

- We'll speak to the team about this. We might choose the captain, or the players could sort that out between themselves.

- Last month, you stated that you were worried about the amount of ice time that Ilya Samsonov is given. Will he be the number one for this tournament?

- Yes, he will be for the competition's start. 

- Which teams are the World Junior Championship's favourites?

- The same six teams as usual.

- How many positions haven't been finalised in your team?

- Two or three in each line. For the competition, we will register eight defensemen and twelve forwards.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation