Successful Sweden arrives in Kelowna
It has been a quiet week around Prospera Place over the last few days, with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets gone on their annual Christmas road trip ahead of the break. Aside from booked ice times, there hasn’t been much action around the arena.
That will change this coming Tuesday, when Russia and Sweden take over the building. The Russia-Sweden game in Kelowna is the first of the Lordco Road to the World Juniors pre-tournament games.
Nine communities across B.C. will play host to 12 pre-tournament games from Dec. 18-23, before the puck officially drops Boxing Day on the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship in Vancouver and Victoria.
Tuesday’s game will be the first time that Russia and Sweden have their preliminary rosters hit the ice against someone other than themselves in practice.
Sweden is entering this year’s tournament having gone undefeated in pool play in seven straight tournaments, not losing a game since 2011. They have won 24 games in regulation and eight in extra time.
In 2012, the Swedes had a perfect record through the round robin — winning two games in regulation and two in overtime — and that team went on to win all six games they played in Edmonton and Calgary en route to taking home the championship.
In 2013 in Russia, Sweden won three games in regulation and another in overtime before losing the gold-medal game to the Americans.
In 2014, on home soil in Malmo, the Swedes won all four round-robin games in regulation but wound up losing the gold-medal game to rival Finland.
In 2015, Sweden was again perfect with four wins — without any extra time needed during round-robin action — but they eventually fell to Slovakia in the bronzemedal game.
Sweden settled for the same result the next two years in Helsinki in 2016 and Montreal/Toronto in 2017.
Last year in Buffalo, the Swedes won three round-robin games in regulation but nearly had their streak stopped by Russia, only to prevail in a thrilling New Year’s Eve overtime victory. Sweden eventually fell to the Canadians — who were captained by former Rocket Dillon Dube — in the goldmedal game.
Team Sweden arrived in Kelowna on Friday ahead of their game on Tuesday. The players will take the next few days to adjust to the time change and get acquainted with one another before they audition for the final roster.
Tickets are still available for Tuesday’s Sweden-Russia game at Prospera Place, with a 7 p.m. PT puck-drop. To buy tickets, go to selectyourtickets.com, the Prospera Place box office or call 250-762-5050.