2011 Division II World Championships Zagreb, Croatia
This was my 3rd World Championship tournament I travelled in. The participants were Croatia, Romania, Iceland, Bulgaria, China and Ireland. The favours to promotion were Croatia and Romania. China and Iceland would fight for bronze medal and relegation was to set with match against Bulgaria and Ireland.
The tournament started with game between Romania and China. I had bought a tournament pass for a friend of mine and I was supposed to have a media accreditation pass. I was informed that the tournament pass can be picked up at the arena but to our great surprise, we were told that they hadn't been done yet. 15 minutes before the drop of the puck, the hosts tell us, the tournament pass orderd from official ticket sales company, is not ready. As wasn't my media pass.
We were told to wait for a moment until they make the passes in the office.
The IIHF anthem starts playing. Few moments later the goal horns play for the first time. Soon again. And again.
I had started my trip to Zagreb 12 hours prior to the puck drop with very few sleep and I was getting quite irritated when we had to wait outside the rink for our passes. I visited the ticket office and asked what is the situation. No change. The ticket seller said he would notice us as soon as the passes are ready.
Finally 45 minutes after the puck drop, just before the beginning of 2nd period another guy came to the ticket office and said our tournament passes are ready. They had actually been ready for 30 minutes but the ticket seller had forgot to mention us about it.
When we finally got into the arena, Romania had a 5-1 lead and the game was technically over.
After that was played the relegation decicive game Ireland-Bulgaria. The Irisih were almost as weak as in New Zealand 2009 and Bulgaria took an easy 6-0 win. After the game some Bulgarians were drinking sparkling wine or champagne and smoking cigarettes just outside the rink.Very sportsman hockey players indeed.
Next game was the host team Croatia against Iceland. Iceland had a new head coach, father of Danish NHL-player Lars Eller. The game ended 9-0 for Croatia but considering how lopsided the game was, it was the most entertaining and good quality hockey game I had seen with so big winning margin.
Bulgaria's tournament stamina was on test next day when they faced Croatia. Celebrating the victory over Ireland had took most of one player who, according to the Croatian players, was so drunk that his teammates had to carry him to the locker room because he couldn't stand on his own feet. What a surprise that there was a player missing from Bulgaria's roster and Bulgaria lost the game 17-2.
That was pretty much what the Bulgarians were up to. The teams were accommodated to the hotel on the opposite side of the arena, on the other end of the square in which the arena, Dom Sportova was located. The Croatian players told that the Bulgarians mostly carried beer to their room while other teams had normal souveniers.
In the first day off we walked past the hotel. There were plenty of restaurants and bars on side of the road next to the hotel. It was 12 o'clock and the whole Bulgarian team was on terrace having a beer wearing Bulgaria Ice Hockey jogging suits. We walked 200 meters further and there were Icelandic players playing football near the hockey arena.
That single episode described how different attitudes the teams can have in a tournament like this.
In the final game, Romania managed to take 2-1 win despite Croatia had plenty of excellent chances to make the goals needed for victory. They didn't and Romania came behind to win the game and gained promotion to Division I B for 2012.
Ireland played horrible tournament and were relegated to Division III for 2012. After the tournament few Irish players were arrested for tearing off side mirrors of parked cars.
I had some problems in the beginning of the tournament and trip to home wasn't so easy either. I had a flight to Copenhagen where I had a flight to catch to get to Finland. I didn't have much time between the flights and I was close to miss the flight with my friend.
Our flight from Zagreb departed in the morning about 8.15 after the end of the tournament. I noticed that we had same flight with Icelandic team and after winning the bronze medals, the guys sure had a party and they were sleeping all around the transit area.
When we started boarding the plane and after we were seated the team General Manager was walking up and down the aisle in the plane. 3 players were missing and they couldn't be found anywhere. Their luggage had to be removed from the plane and there was about 30 minute delay in the departure.
I was sitting on an aisle side bench and the GM knocked me gently on my shoulder and sighed: "Ice hockey players..."
That was definitely one of the greatest trips I had ever made.
The tournament started with game between Romania and China. I had bought a tournament pass for a friend of mine and I was supposed to have a media accreditation pass. I was informed that the tournament pass can be picked up at the arena but to our great surprise, we were told that they hadn't been done yet. 15 minutes before the drop of the puck, the hosts tell us, the tournament pass orderd from official ticket sales company, is not ready. As wasn't my media pass.
We were told to wait for a moment until they make the passes in the office.
The IIHF anthem starts playing. Few moments later the goal horns play for the first time. Soon again. And again.
I had started my trip to Zagreb 12 hours prior to the puck drop with very few sleep and I was getting quite irritated when we had to wait outside the rink for our passes. I visited the ticket office and asked what is the situation. No change. The ticket seller said he would notice us as soon as the passes are ready.
Finally 45 minutes after the puck drop, just before the beginning of 2nd period another guy came to the ticket office and said our tournament passes are ready. They had actually been ready for 30 minutes but the ticket seller had forgot to mention us about it.
When we finally got into the arena, Romania had a 5-1 lead and the game was technically over.
After that was played the relegation decicive game Ireland-Bulgaria. The Irisih were almost as weak as in New Zealand 2009 and Bulgaria took an easy 6-0 win. After the game some Bulgarians were drinking sparkling wine or champagne and smoking cigarettes just outside the rink.Very sportsman hockey players indeed.
Next game was the host team Croatia against Iceland. Iceland had a new head coach, father of Danish NHL-player Lars Eller. The game ended 9-0 for Croatia but considering how lopsided the game was, it was the most entertaining and good quality hockey game I had seen with so big winning margin.
Bulgaria's tournament stamina was on test next day when they faced Croatia. Celebrating the victory over Ireland had took most of one player who, according to the Croatian players, was so drunk that his teammates had to carry him to the locker room because he couldn't stand on his own feet. What a surprise that there was a player missing from Bulgaria's roster and Bulgaria lost the game 17-2.
That was pretty much what the Bulgarians were up to. The teams were accommodated to the hotel on the opposite side of the arena, on the other end of the square in which the arena, Dom Sportova was located. The Croatian players told that the Bulgarians mostly carried beer to their room while other teams had normal souveniers.
In the first day off we walked past the hotel. There were plenty of restaurants and bars on side of the road next to the hotel. It was 12 o'clock and the whole Bulgarian team was on terrace having a beer wearing Bulgaria Ice Hockey jogging suits. We walked 200 meters further and there were Icelandic players playing football near the hockey arena.
That single episode described how different attitudes the teams can have in a tournament like this.
In the final game, Romania managed to take 2-1 win despite Croatia had plenty of excellent chances to make the goals needed for victory. They didn't and Romania came behind to win the game and gained promotion to Division I B for 2012.
Ireland played horrible tournament and were relegated to Division III for 2012. After the tournament few Irish players were arrested for tearing off side mirrors of parked cars.
I had some problems in the beginning of the tournament and trip to home wasn't so easy either. I had a flight to Copenhagen where I had a flight to catch to get to Finland. I didn't have much time between the flights and I was close to miss the flight with my friend.
Our flight from Zagreb departed in the morning about 8.15 after the end of the tournament. I noticed that we had same flight with Icelandic team and after winning the bronze medals, the guys sure had a party and they were sleeping all around the transit area.
When we started boarding the plane and after we were seated the team General Manager was walking up and down the aisle in the plane. 3 players were missing and they couldn't be found anywhere. Their luggage had to be removed from the plane and there was about 30 minute delay in the departure.
I was sitting on an aisle side bench and the GM knocked me gently on my shoulder and sighed: "Ice hockey players..."
That was definitely one of the greatest trips I had ever made.