Ice Hockey Season on the way to Climax – starting with La Liga Regular Season and the Olympics with NHL Players the Coming Weeks…
The Ice Hockey Season Reaching a Climax in the Olympics with NHL stars, but also in Spain it will be some hot moments to settle the last playoff spots..
Starting with Spanish League – It seems PUIGCERDÀ will claim the victory of the Regular Season – with one game to go for them against Madrid. I could not see that they will miss that. However – Second will be JACA. – and looking at their rooster and the Imports they have added lately JACA are currently my favourite to become La Liga Hielo Champions this year.
However, this next 10 days will settle third and fourth position between three Teams – Majadahonda, (with Nordic Vikings John Wedin), Txuri Hurdin ( San Sebastian) and FC Barcelona to reach the last playoff spots. The tricky thing here is that FC Porto, who are not allowed to play the play off, will play their last games in a road trip due to that their home ice is not ready. So their tour form will affect the final positions, as they will meet all main opponents. However, it is mainly two “six points” game that will finally settle it. It is Txuri vs Majadahonda and Txuri vs Barcelona and my guess is that Majadahonda will take one of the Play Off spots. Also, Barcelona is late with their new Arena, so it is not just Porto and the Olympics in Milano who have that problem.
When you then come to the Play Off – You saw that I put my money on Jaca, because they have added the rights pieces for the final part of the season … However my heart is with Majadahonda with John Wedin that has been close and the main threat to the Champions the last two years – and I will put them up as an outsider with their Team play. I think the tricky part for them is who of their foreigner they have to put on the bench and if all the foreigner will play for the Team as it is needed… to be Champions… However this year Majadahonda Woman Team has already won La Liga Hielo Iberdrola and are the favourite to became Champions after the close defeat in the Final against Txuri last year….
Going to the Olympics then – Canada and USA are my final favourites on both Woman and Men’s side and Europe will have to fight mainly for the third places. The Key question will be the Canadian goalies I believe, in both Woman and Men. Canada is favourite on the Men’s side and USA on the Woman side. Europe then, yes, the potential runner ups is also the same. Sweden, Finland, Czech and Swiss on both sides. Sweden and Finland could always rely on good teams’ spirit and their composed play – but their teams have some weaknesses due to injuries and some potential – to not go to deep into it. I think Swiss and Czech due to some stars are not broad enough to win a Gold Medal – but as the tournament is set up – All of this teams could reach a final and become runner ups at least on the Men’s side…
Nordic Vikings have no players in the Olympics, but our players have meet and practice with several of them in different Seasons and in Summer Camps as Adrian Kempe LA Kings, William Nylander Toronto, Philip Broberg St Louis. Then also Tampa Players Pontus Holmberg and Victor Hedman, who was a Sponsor for Vikings in Spain, so we wish them good luck in the Olympics. Another Nordic Viking, currently coaching SHL Team Malmö, build on many Finnish – Danish Jens Nielsen was coaching Denmark in the Beijing Olympics 2022. The Norweigian then…. well we have Tangen and he could might put skates on Kläbo…
Later this season China, Spain, Estonia and Korea will play IIHF WC DIV 1B in Shenzhen, close to Hongkong, but coming back to that later in the Spring….
Professor…
