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| Team Russia looking to repeat - Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images |
Surprising? Absolutely.
However, without Team USA in the medal round this time around either , North American hockey at the international U20 level took a hard hit in open ice which many didn't expect.
Reason? There are great young players playing in Russia, Sweden, and Finland too.
This is not surprising when you consider the following using the 2011 NHL Draft as a basis of analysis (as taken from the NHL Official Guide and Record book ):
- Of all players drafted in the 2011 NHL class, North American league players (OHL, QMJHL, WHL, US Colleges, US High Schools) totaled 118 of all players drafted.
- Of all players drafted in the 2011 NHL class, international players totaled 48, and those picked from teams competing in Sweden (25), Russia (6), and Finland (10) totaled 41.
That is, players from those three countries comprised 35% of the total amount drafted from North American leagues - fewer numbers but with high quality.
Impressive and not surprising.
Enjoy the gold and bronze medal games that take place on Thursday - Team Canada takes on Team Finland for the bronze while Team Russia has a chance to repeat as gold medal winners when they faceoff against Team Sweden.
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