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I *- THE BRANDON SUN, Saturday, December 28, 1974World JuniorIt's a Russian revolution—on the icebv JOHN KOROKAMKWINNIPEG (CP) — The SovietUnion has dominated amateur hotkey so thoroughly for the last decade, it has forced other European countries to begin moving away from their traditional skating and pasing game.This has been evident in recent international matches and Bo Tovland. manager of Sweden’s team in the World Junior Hockey Tournament, Friday said the Soviet Union “is so strong we had to ge* another style to play them.“We have it now with more stronger and more tougher boys but the Soviet Union still is well ahead of us.”Tovland said the movement towards a rougher style of play just happened when Sweden, and other European countries, tried to mix the best from the U S S R and Canada in an effort to beat the Soviets.If we can mix it. it would be the best,” Tovland said after the Swedish team arrived here Friday and began preparing to meet Canada in one of two games being played today. In the other, Czechoslovakia and Finland clash in Brandon.“About four years ago we began changing. Last year we had a good look at Canadian juniors and mixed our style a little more. It helped us to win the European junior title.”It was Sweden’s second European junior triumph in three years and has moved them ahead of Czechoslovakia in the eyes of many observers who now see Sweden as lerhaps the biggest threat to the Soviet Union's defence of the world junior title it won last year.But before Sweden can take a look at the world title, Tovland said, they must beat Canada tonight.“This is the key game for us Ifwe win we have a big chance, but if we lose it will be very hard. We know Canada plays a rough game but we will do everything to play clean and skate . . . this we must do to beat them.”The Swedish team this year is “reasonably big’’ unlike most European teams of the '60s. But. says Tovland, so are all the others.“The Soviets are all big and built much alike. The Czechs are bigger this year and they play harder . they should be a big surprise for the fans.Tovland said the six-team round-robin tournament that ends Jan. 5 could be the best of all because all the teams are very well prepared.” “The only problem we have here is the television. There are so many channels the boys are staying up all night watching the movies. When 1 walk by the room, they turn the sound down and as soon as I leave they turn it up again, he said half-jokingly.But he is quite serious when he says the professional influence from North America could push the European style change too far and completely destroy the game as Europeans now know it It is not too rough yet, but it is getting rougher and I only hope the referees can stop this trend. Next year in Sweden we hope to have thethree official system like Canada, it seems better than our two-referee system ”Many of the European youngsters attend summer hockeyschools m Canada or the United States and most of them read books and watch instructional movies and televised games from North America. It has helped themimprove their game, but, has also influenced their thinking about how to play it.Many of the young boys are now-thinking about professional hockey because they read about, and see, how players like Borge Salming of Toronto and Anders Hedberg of your Jets, are now playing.“The prfessionals are now influencing the game in Europemore. The youngsters see fellows like that guy in Philadelphia. Dave Shultz, and think there's a tough guy, I think I’ll play like him.’ ” Unfortunately, says Tovland, they overlook the superior play ofindividuals like Bobby Orr orBobby Hull.“If they would take the style of Orr it would be okay, but if they take the wrong style, it will be rough for us.The newer, rougher style beingadopted by the European teams is particularly evident in games among themselves and especially when Finland or Czechoslovakia meets the Soviet Union.It becomes a personal thing between them and at times the games become like little wars, they get very rough.”Thursday’s 4-1 Soviet Union vie-wrtory over Finland was just such a game with high sticks and chippyplay, especially in the corners.And, says Tovland, the game Sunday between Czechoslovakia and the U.S.S R. could be a verybad game.
Newspaper Details
Brandon Sun
Brandon, Manitoba, CA
Sat, Dec 28, 1974
Page 12
Full Page
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