Say what you want about the weaker nations in the men’s hockey tournament at the Sochi Olympic Games, but the presence of Austria and Slovenia means that two worthy men will take their rightful place in the world’s premier best-on-best competition.
Anze Kopitar will obviously get huge minutes – and attention – as the main catalyst offensively for the Slovenes, while Thomas Vanek will have to have much to do with the Austrians gaining any sort of respect at the event.
Yet there may yet be more reasons to pay attention when the have-nots – a group that also includes the experienced Latvians — take the ice against the hockey world’s elite.
Slovenia
The small, former Yugoslavian nation wasn’t even favoured to make the event after drawing Belarus, Ukraine and Denmark in qualifying. Without Anze Kopitar, most predicted the host Danes would find a way to include the likes of NHLers Frans Nielsen, Lars Eller and Mikel Boedker in the Sochi event – but the underdogs from the south of Europe had other ideas.
Coached by Matjaz Kopitar (yes, Anze’s father), Slovenia will likely turn to veteran Robert Kristan or youngster Luka Gracnar (who attended the latest NHL draft, but was not picked) in goal, and both capable of pulling in large amounts of rubber to give their nation – one with no expectations – a chance to pull an upset or two.
Ales Kranjc is the old reliable on defence and has one season of Czech elite league hockey under his belt, while Klemen Pretnar showed himself a productive offensive catalyst from the back end in the Austrian league.
Up front, Anze will get help from the Rodman brothers. Marcel, the elder, is a former Boston Bruins ninth-round pick; David, the younger, led the team in scoring during qualifying.
He will also have the support of his brother, 21-year-old Gasper Kopitar, who spent two seasons in the United States’ top junior league (the United States Hockey League) and who is a regular for Mora in the Swedish Allsvenskan (second league).
Roc Ticar, 24, has dynamic talent and scored six points in seven games in the 2013 World Hockey Championship.
Latvia
Believe it or not, Latvia – head coached by longtime NHL bench boss Ted Nolan — is growing some nice pieces . At the very least, team speed won’t be a problem.
The hype around Martins Karsums dissipated quickly after strong Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and American Hockey League careers (155 points in 212 AHL games with Providence and Norfolk), but the former Boston Bruins second-rounder is dynamic and at home on KHL ice, where he is the captain of Dinamo Riga.
Zemgus Girgensons is only 19, but he made a good impression playing all season last year with the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate in Rochester after being picked 14th overall in the 2012 draft (higher than any Latvian ever). He and former Florida Panthers farmhand Janis Sprukts should form a decent one-two up the middle.
Former Nashville Predators draft pick Lauris Darzins is off to a great start with Traktor Chelyabinsk, and though not fleet of foot, the 28-year-old left-winger has good size and led Latvia with five goals in seven games at last year’s world championship.
Winnipeg Jets defender Arturs Kulda is the only current NHLer on the roster. Oscars Bartulis, who played 66 NHL games with the Flyers after being picked by Philly in the third round in 2005, will give him a capable minute-muncher to play with.
There’s little doubt that Edgars Masalskis will get the call in net after featuring in two Olympics already.
Austria
In a group with the Germans, in a qualifying group that played in Germany, the Austrians were not supposed to make it (just like Slovenia).
Yes, Vanek and Michael Grabner will get loads of ice and attention, but do not be fooled. Head coach (and Alberta native) Emmanuel Viveiros’s clubs battle hard, play for each other and will have experience in tow.
Michael Raffl’s play in the Allsvenskan with Leksand earned him a tryout with the Philadelphia Flyers. He’ll stick in the American Hockey League with Adirondak, while a former Flyer and current Carolina Hurricane, Andreas Nodl, will join him.
Thomas Hundertpfund has a big body, was superb at the last world championship tournament and looks to thrive in Sweden with Timra.
Things thin up considerably on the back end, but former New York Ranger and Islander Thomas Pock will likely line up against the bigger powers’ stars.
Bernhard Starkbaum was a revelation last season, dominating in the Swedish Elite League as Modo’s workhorse as well as at Olympic qualifying.
This Austrian team can score goals, but Starkbaum won’t have enough quality on the blue line to protect him.
