BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The 2020-21 Euro hockey season, fractured like hockey season’s worldwide from the Covid-19 pandemic, is closing out its seasons with some title winners.
The champions are (alphabetically):
Alps Hockey League (AlpsHL) – HK Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) beat AS Asiago (Italy).
Belarus – Yunost Minsk had a four-game sweep over HK Gomel.
Denmark – Rungstad IK Capitals won their championship in seven games, defeating the Aalborg Pirates. They won the decisive game in overtime on a goal by a former AHL’er, Shane Hanna. Among his teammates fellow are former AHL’ers Alex Wideman and Charles Sarault.
England – (Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales) – The entire EIHL-Elite Ice Hockey League season was canceled.
France – The Magnus League, had no post-season but did get in a 22 game regular season. Former UCONN Husky, Max Kalter, cracked the Top 10 in scoring with HC Cergy. Kalter logged 14 goals and 22 points while playing in all 22 games.
MORE WINNERS
Germany – Eisbaren Berlin won its eighth title in beating Adler Mannheim in five games, Sean Backman (Cos Cob/Avon Old Farms/Yale University-ECACHL) and Ryan McKiernan (Brunswick School) were on the ice. The team’s Sports Manager is former New Haven Nighthawk Stephane J.G. Richer.
A slew of former AHL’ers, some with dual citizenship, celebrated with them from Mark Zengerle, Matt White, Pierre-Cedric Labrie, Mark Olver, Kris Foucault, John Ramage, Simon Després, and assistant coach, Gerry Fleming.
Kazakhstan – Saryaka Karaganda beat Arlan Kokehetau in six games with a 2-0 championship game win. Sergei Demagin, a Rangers draft pick who never came over to North America, was on the team.
Latvia – Olimp Riga had a four-game sweep over JLSS Zemgale. The playoff MVP was former Albany Devils forward Mikelis Redlihs.
Iceland – SA Akyreyi won their fourth straight title and eighth of the last ten in the Icelandic Hockey League with a three-game sweep of Fjölnir. The losing team did import from Connecticut, Tom Vidal, who played ACHA Division-2 club hockey for Connecticut College (New London).
IRAN HAS A HOCKEY LEAGUE?
Iran – Hockey is still in the early stages of developing the sport as Online Tire Tehran captured the men’s and women’s titles.
Pakistan – Gilgit Baltistan Sports Association beat the Gilift Baltistan Scouts, 7-1, in the championship game. The game was held at a ski reserve on the Pakistan Air Force base in Naltar, the nation’s only ice surface.
Poland – JKH GKS Jasstrzebis beat Comarch Cracovia to win the PZIHL title.
Russia – The KHL Gagarin Cup final was won for the first time by Avangard Omsk in six games. They defeated CSKA Moscow for the title.
Avangard featured former Hartford Wolf Pack, Alexei Bereglazov, who won his third Cup, but first with Avangard. He also signed a two-year contract extension.
The CSKA Moscow features Rangers defenseman Yegor Rykov, who’s still under contract to the Blueshirts, and former Wolf Pack and Ranger, John Gilmour, who played in just two games of the series.
In the VHL (Russia’s version of the AHL), Yugra Khanty beat Metallurg Novokuznetsk four-games-to-one for their third Vyassha Hockey League (VHL) title.
DRURY LEADING VAXJO
Sweden – In the Swedish LeMat Trophy championship, at press time, Vaxjo holds a three-games-to-one advantage over Rogle BK. The next game is on Wednesday.
On the Vaxjo roster is Jack Drury, the son of former Hartford Whaler, Ted Drury (Trumbull/Fairfield Prep). He is the nephew of Rangers President and GM, Chris Drury. Rogle BK has ex-Pack, Adam Tambellini playing for them.
Ketterä Imatra won the Mestis title over Hermes Kokkola. The Kettara team manager is former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin (AHL), Pauli Levoakari.
Spain – Barca Hockey Gel beat long-running titleholder CG Puigcereda for their first-ever title in the Liga Nacional.
Turkey – Buz Beykov SK of Istanbul won the Turkish Super League (TSL) title. The win ends the five-year title run of Zeytinburnu SK. Turkish domestic player, Serkan Gumus, scored all four team goals in the championship win.
