Team Belarus at 2014 IIHF World Championship
At the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Minsk Team Belarus, making part of the world’s ice hockey strongest division, played the teams of Finland, Russia, the United States, Switzerland, Germany, Latvia, and Kazakhstan in Group B.
Team Belarus all-time high at world championships: 6th place, Riga, Latvia, 2006
Best achievement at the Olympic Games: 4th place, Salt Lake City, 2002.
Nickname: the Bisons
Head coach: Glen Hanlon
Team captain: Alexei Kalyuzhny
The 78th edition of the IIHF World Championship opened at Minsk Arena with Belarus vs. USA match.
Team Belarus roster for 2014 IIHF World Championship
Goalkeepers
1. Vitaly Koval, 34 (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL)
31. Andrei Mezin, 39 (Avangard Omsk, KHL)
35. Kevin Lalande, 27 (Dinamo Minsk, KHL)
Defensemen
5. Nikolai Stasenko, 27 (Severstal Cherepovets, KHL)
7. Vladimir Denisov, 29 (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL)
11. Andrei Karev, 29 (Yunost Minsk)
25. Oleg Yevenko, 23 (Uni. of Massachusetts Lowell)
57. Ivan Usenko, 31 (Dinamo Minsk, KHL)
89. Dmitry Korobov, 25 (Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
91. Kirill Gotovets, 22 (Milwaukee Admirals, AHL)
92. Roman Graborenko, 21 (Albany Devils, AHL)
Forwards
16. Geoff Platt, 28 (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)
17. Alexei Kalyuzhny, 36 (Dinamo Minsk, KHL)
18. Alexei Ugarov, 29 (Admiral Vladivostok, KHL)
23. Andrei Stas, 25 (Dinamo Minsk, KHL)
27. Alexei Yefimenko, 28 (Dinamo Minsk, KHL)
28. Konstantin Koltsov, 33 (Atlant Moscow Region, KHL)
37. Nikita Osipov, 30 (Metallurg Zhlobin)
46. Andrei Kostitsyn, 29 (Traktor Chelyabinsk, KHL)
61. Andrei Stepanov, 28 (Amur Khabarovsk, KHL)
73. Artyom Volkov, 28 (Yunost Minsk)
74. Sergei Kostitsyn, 27 (Avangard Omsk, KHL)
77. Alexander Kitarov, 26 (Dinamo Minsk, KHL)
84. Mikhail Grabovsky, 30 (Washington Capitals, NHL)
88. Yevgeny Kovyrshin, 28 (Severstal Cherepovets, KHL)
Among the stars of the Belarusian national team is Alexei Kalyuzhny, Mikhail Grabovsky, Andrei Mezin, brothers Sergei Kostitsyn and Andrei Kostitsyn, Konstantin Koltsov.
Coaching staff
Glen Hanlon, Head Coach
In 2005 Canadian-born Glen Hanlon became the first foreign specialist to head Belarus’ national team. Under his tutelage the team reached its all-time high at the world’s sport forums (6th place). With Glen Hanlon behind the bench (2005-2006, 2009), Team Belarus played 32 games (+14=3-15, goal difference 79-77). In 2013 he got back as Team Belarus head coach. Glen Hanlon contributed to the development of the Belarusian youth ice hockey development strategy.
Coaches: Eduard Zankovets, Oleg Mikulchik
Video Coaches: Todd Woodcroft, Vyacheslav Gusov
Team Belarus games
In the preliminary round Team Belarus played the following matches at Minsk Arena.
9 May 20:45 Belarus vs USA - 1:6
11 May 17:30 Belarus vs Kazakhstan - 4:1
12 May 16:45 Switzerland vs Belarus - 3:4
15 May 20:45 Finland vs Belarus - 2:0
17 May 16:45 Belarus vs Germany - 5:2
19 May 20:45 Latvia vs Belarus - 1:3
20 May 20:45 Russia vs Belarus - 2:1
The team scored 12 points and finished 3rd in the group and advanced to the playoffs. In the quarterfinals Belarus lost to Sweden 2:3.
Team Belarus at 2014 IIHF World Championship
Team Belarus advanced to the 2014 IIHF World Championship playoffs and finished 7th overall.
Mikhail Grabovski was 19th in the championship scoring leaders ranking, Sergei Kostitsyn 21st.
Mikhail Grabovski ranked 11th in the goal scoring leaders, Sergei Kostitsyn 17th.
By the way, Canadian Cody Hodgson and Belarusian forward Mikhail Grabovski scored three game winners each at the 2014 IIHF World Championship. Mikhail Grabovski proved the key man in the matches against Switzerland, Germany and Latvia.
Alexei Kalyuzhny was 10th in assist leaders, Mikhail Grabovski 22nd and Sergei Kostitsyn 30th .
Mikhail Grabosvki was 3rd in face-off leaders, Andrei Stas 13th.
Roman Graborenko finished 15th in the plus-minus leaders, Sergei Kostitsyn 22nd and Dmitry Korobov 26th.
Team Belarus goalkeeper Kevin Lalande posted the best save percentage of 96.36% in the preliminary round of the 2014 IIHF World Championship in Minsk. He finished third overall.
Sergei Kostitsyn, Mikhail Grabovski and Alexei Kalyuzhny were named best players on the team selected by the coaches.
After the world championship Team Belarus, which reached the quarterfinals for the first time in five years, made the biggest jump on the new 2014 IIHF World Ranking from 15th place to 11th place. At the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in the Czech Republic Belarus will play in Group B with Russia, USA, Slovakia, Norway, Slovenia, Denmark and Finland.
After the Minsk championship Glen Hanlon who led Team Belarus to three quarter-final appearances resigned from his position of head coach with Team Belarus.
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